Action Society has escalated the case of 89-year-old Ellen Malan who was brutally murdered in her Tafelsig home in September 2024, by submitting formal letters of complaint to the South African National Forensic Oversight and Ethics Board (DNA Board) and the Station Commander of Mitchells Plain SAPS.
The organisation, mandated by Malan’s family to oversee the case, is demanding urgent answers regarding the handling of forensic evidence that has left the investigation stalled for more than a year.
In its letter to the DNA Board, Action Society has asked the Complaints and Investigation Sub-Committee to probe why fingerprint results submitted to the Plattekloof laboratory remain outstanding, and why a DNA retake was requested from both suspects and family members without any explanation. The complaint further asks the Board to investigate compliance with the DNA Act and Regulations, and to advise on measures to prevent such prolonged delays.
In a separate letter to Mitchells Plain’s Station Commander, Action Society demanded a clear update on forensic processes, confirmation of investigative steps taken since the last feedback, and the appointment of a dedicated contact person for the family.
“These endless delays are an insult to Ellen’s memory and a second trauma to her family,” said Kaylynn Palm, Head of Action Society’s Action Centre in the Western Cape. “When fingerprint results sit unprocessed for over a year and DNA samples are mishandled or retaken without explanation, it is no longer a backlog, it is a collapse. Families are left in limbo, criminals are left free, and SAPS shields itself from accountability instead of seeking solutions.”
On the night of 27/28 September 2024, Ellen Malan was found murdered in her Tafelsig home with her hands tied. A beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she was described as “everyone’s granny” in her community, known for her kindness and for looking after children while their parents worked. She would have celebrated her 90th birthday on 15 October 2025.
Ellen’s case is one of tens of thousands of cases trapped in South Africa’s DNA backlog. Action Society maintains that urgent public-private partnerships with private forensic laboratories and universities could resolve the crisis, but SAPS continues to resist such cooperation.
Action Society will continue to monitor Ellen’s case and hold authorities accountable until justice is achieved.
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