Family and friends of the slain ”everyone’s granny”, Ellen Malan, are still left in the dark regarding progress made in her murder investigation six months after her death. Action Society will be approaching the investigating officer and the station commander with letters demanding answers concerning the lack of forensic evidence that have been hindering progress in this case as well as the lack of feedback that we believe the family is entitled to.
The 89-year-old was found murdered in her home in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain on September 28, 2024 with her hands bound. She is survived by eight grandchildren and 13 great–grandchildren. She would have celebrated her 90th birthday on October 15 last year. She was admired by everyone in her community and was fondly described as “everyone’s granny”.
“Ellen’s case is probably one of 140 000 cases in the ongoing DNA Backlog crisis, which has turned into a human rights violation. It is a betrayal of victims, a get-out-of-jail-free card to criminals, and yet another glaring testament to the state’s inability to fulfill its most basic duty: keeping its citizens safe,” explains Kaylynn Palm, Head of Action Society’s Action Centre in the Western Cape.
Action Society believes the DNA crisis can be easily tackled head on through urgent Public-private partnerships with the help of private forensic laboratories and universities. “But we believe SAPS are unwilling to do so because outsourcing DNA testing would expose just how deep the dysfunction within SAPS runs. The refusal to embrace external capacity assistance is not just incompetence—it is self-preservation at the expense of justice.”
“While the DNA crisis drags on, thousands of families, including Ellen’s more than a dozen children and grandchildren, are left desperately waiting for answers. They deserve better.” concluded Palm.
