South Africa’s courts are failing victims and their families with endless postponements and years-long delays. This month, the cases of two young women—Asiphe Cetywayo and Nadia Lotz—stand as stark reminders of this crisis. Asiphe’s case will mark one and a half years since her brutal murder on 4 September, while Nadia’s case has already dragged on for two and a half years since her partner slit her throat in March 2023.
“These delays are not just technicalities, they are retraumatising victims’ families, silencing communities, and undermining faith in the justice system,” said Kaylynn Palm, head of Action Society’s Action Centre in the Western Cape. “Every postponement sends a message to survivors and families that their pain can wait, while perpetrators continue to manipulate the system. Justice must be swift and sure, or it is no justice at all.”
Blue Downs Regional Court
Poppy* rape case
Four-year-old Poppy was raped and molested by her elderly school transport driver while he was supposed to drive her home from a crèche in Mfuleni on 10 October 2024. The accused appeared on 11 September 2025 and the matter was postponed to 7 November 2025, when trial is expected to finally begin.
Janelle Lattoe assault case
Janelle Lattoe and two other women continue to face their serial abuser in court. On 18 September 2025 it was revealed that the accused, despite being in custody, has attempted to contact complainants via friends, even sending voice messages. The magistrate issued a stern warning and the case was postponed to 29 October 2025 for plea negotiations.
Paarl Regional Court
Asiphe Cetywayo murder
Asiphe, a final-year teaching student with a bright future, was raped and murdered on 3 March 2024. Her mutilated body, burnt with acid, was discovered the next day by a herdsman at Vlakkeland dumping site. The case was in court on 12 September 2025 and postponed to 23 October 2025.
Mitchells Plain Regional Court
Lekesha Marthinus murder
Eighteen-year-old Lekesha was killed on 5 November 2022 when her boyfriend threw an empty beer bottle at her head while she held her nine-month-old baby. She was rushed to hospital and declared dead on arrival. Nearly three years later, the case continues to drag on. On 16 September 2025 the matter could not proceed due to a full court roll and was postponed to 29 October 2025.
Firdous Kleinschmidt murder
Thirteen-year-old Firdous was killed on 30 January 2024 after being struck by a stray bullet while waiting for transport on her school grounds in Beacon Valley. She was an innocent victim of gang violence that continues to terrorise Mitchells Plain. The matter appeared in court on 17 September 2025 and was postponed to 6 October 2025 for plea and trial.
Cape Town Regional Court
Candice Robertson murder
Candice was found dead in the guesthouse room she shared with her boyfriend in Greenpoint on 30 April 2022. He initially phoned the owner suggesting she had committed suicide, but when medics and police arrived suspicions were raised and he was arrested. On 16 and 17 September 2025 the defence confirmed they had received the expanded docket, now over 200 pages, and noted that they were awaiting a private forensic pathologist’s report. Despite the prosecutor’s objection that they had long known of this, the magistrate granted a postponement. The trial will continue on 4 and 5 November 2025.
Strand Regional Court
Nadia Lotz murder
Nadia, a 32-year-old mother of three, was murdered in March 2023 when her long-term partner slit her throat and stabbed her multiple times inside a moving vehicle. Witnesses described how she tried to escape by jumping from the moving vehicle before collapsing and dying in the arms of a stranger who tried to save her. After more than two years of delays, the state closed its case on 18 September 2025, submitting all evidence including the post-mortem. The defence has now indicated it will bring a Section 174 application for acquittal on 27 October 2025. A Section 174 application is a legal procedure in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act which allows the defence to argue that the state has not presented enough evidence to justify continuing with the trial, and to request that the accused be discharged without having to present a defence. The magistrate has stressed that he will not allow the matter to drag on further and is expected to rule shortly after the application is heard.
Parow Regional Court
Aster* rape case
Aster*, a 15-year-old girl from Delft, was raped by her pastor on 16 November 2024 under the guise of religious mentoring and worship practice. The accused, a self-proclaimed “spiritual crime prevention leader,” exploited his position of trust and remains a danger to children whose parents may still entrust him with them. He appeared on 18 September 2025 and the case was postponed to 13 October 2025 for trial.
Action Society will continue to monitor each of these cases, hold authorities accountable, and demand that justice for victims and their families is prioritised without further delay.
