Action Society has lodged a formal complaint with the Public Protector of South Africa regarding the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) handling of the murder investigation of four-year-old Tamia (“Mia”) Botha, who was brutally murdered in Paarl East in September 2022.
Despite three years having passed since Mia’s death, no suspects have been brought to justice, and SAPS has failed to provide the family with consistent updates or explanations for its handling of the case. Action Society’s complaint outlines extensive delays, contradictory communication, and a lack of accountability by SAPS officials at local, district and provincial level.
“Mia’s parents have been left in the dark for three years, despite a reported positive DNA link and repeated undertakings by SAPS,” said Action Society spokesperson Juanita du Preez. “This is not only an injustice to Mia’s family, but a violation of the basic principles of accountability and responsiveness that SAPS is constitutionally bound to uphold.”
Action Society’s complaint calls on the Public Protector to urgently investigate maladministration, improper conduct, and undue delay by SAPS, and to compel remedial action. This includes appointing a senior investigator to the case, ensuring regular and transparent communication with Mia’s family, and holding accountable those officials who failed in their duties.
“When the police fail to do their job, it is not only one family that suffers; it sends a message to every victim of gender-based violence and child abuse that justice will not come,” du Preez added. “We are determined to make sure Mia’s case is not forgotten, and that the system is forced to work for the most vulnerable.”
The complaint also urges the Public Protector to consider a broader inquiry into SAPS’s systemic failures in handling cases of gender-based violence and child murders in the Western Cape, given the alarming backlog and recurring communication failures reported by families.
Action Society will continue to support Mia’s parents and push for justice until accountability is achieved.
More information about Mia’s case can be found here.
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