
Police confirm second arrest in fatal Wynberg Magistrate's Court shooting
A 24-year-old suspect was arrested over the Easter weekend.
'Western Cape Serious Violent Crimes (SVC) detectives have arrested another suspect over the weekend on charges of murder,' police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa confirmed.
'The 24-year-old suspect is expected to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, 22 April.'
Potelwa added that Shireen Matthews, the alleged gang queenpin behind the fatal 'revenge' hit, will make her next court appearance on Wednesday, 23 April, when bail proceedings are expected to begin.
'With the investigation unfolding, the team has been questioning a number of individuals, and steady progress is being made in efforts to apprehend all those responsible for the murder,' concluded Potelwa.
Meanwhile, Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DJCOD) has ordered that security be strengthened at the Wynberg Magistrate's Court in Cape Town, following a fatal shooting inside the court building earlier this month.
A high-level delegation, led by DJCOD Director-General, Advocate Doc Mashabane, conducted an oversight visit to the court.
The delegation also included Acting Secretary-General in the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ), Advocate Marelize Potgieter, and the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in the Western Cape, Advocate Nicolette Bell.
'The purpose of the visit was to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether any security lapses had occurred. This intervention formed part of government's response, with the objective of reviewing and strengthening security protocols at court facilities,' the department said in a statement.
As part of immediate interventions, the Director-General has directed the installation of a security scanner, the tightening of access control to prosecutors' and magistrates' offices, and the enhanced vetting of court officials.
Furthermore, a report on the incident will be drawn up and submitted to DJCOD Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi and Chief Justice, Mandisa Maya.
'The department reiterates its commitment to ensuring that courts remain places for the dispensation of justice and not places where crime is committed,' the department said.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) said it views the incident in a 'serious light'.
'The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, under whose delegation the Security of the Court falls, has been engaged on the enhancement of security in and around the court precinct.
'As the Head of the Judiciary in the Province, the Judge President of the Western Cape Division of the High Court wishes to convey condolences to the family of the deceased, and expresses regret and support to the Judicial Officers, officials and the public who witnessed the incident,' the OCJ said.
The incident is currently under police investigation.
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The South African
18-07-2025
- The South African
South Africa to get TWO new significant laws
South Africa's justice system is on the brink of significant reform as two landmark Bills – one targeting international fugitives and the other revolutionising divorce law – make their way through parliament. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, under newly appointed Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, has introduced legislation aimed at aligning South Africa's legal framework with global standards while addressing domestic inequities in family law. At the heart of the reform is the International Co-operation in Criminal Matters Amendment Bill, which will allow South Africa to fully cooperate with international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) – a gap previously exposed in high-profile cases involving leaders like Omar al-Bashir and Vladimir Putin. The bill introduces audio-visual testimony from foreign witnesses and experts – modernising a system that, since 1996, has relied solely on in-person procedures. This change is expected to speed up investigations, reduce costs, and enhance accessibility. More significantly, the bill gives South African authorities the legal standing to arrest and extradite individuals at the request of international bodies, not just sovereign states. This closes a critical loophole that previously left the country in murky legal waters during global diplomatic stand-offs. Parallel to the international law changes, the General (Family) Laws Amendment Bill, 2025 aims to correct decades of inequality for South Africans – particularly women – trapped in unfair matrimonial regimes. The proposed legislation will allow for a fair redistribution of assets in divorces where couples were married out of community of property and without the accrual system introduced in 1984. It will also allow for redistribution claims when a spouse dies – an option previously unavailable under the law. These changes follow a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling that found the existing marriage laws to be unconstitutional, citing unfair economic consequences for non-working or caregiving spouses. The bill will further amend the Mediation in Certain Divorce Matters Act, expanding the role of the Family Advocate to better protect financially vulnerable individuals during divorce proceedings. This marks a move toward holistic family support, especially in cases involving older women who were unaware of the financial risks associated with their marriage contracts. Both bills are now on a legislative fast track, although public consultations and parliamentary debate are expected in the coming months. Legal experts have hailed the proposals as long-overdue, noting their potential to enhance justice, accountability, and fairness across the board. 'These changes represent a critical step in modernising our legal system,' said one Johannesburg-based family law attorney. 'We are finally giving voice to those previously sidelined – both in global justice and at home.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

IOL News
16-07-2025
- IOL News
'The judiciary must accept that its integrity is earned through fearless accountability'
Chief Justice Mandisa Maya speaking at the 30th anniversarycelebrations of the Constitutional Court. The judiciary in South Africa often conducts itself as though it exists outside the moral and political realities of the society it serves, projecting an image of unassailable integrity, as if immune to the corruption that permeates other sectors, says the writer. Image: Jairus Mmutle/GCIS Clyde N.S. Ramalaine In democratic theory, the judiciary is often revered as the last line of defence against tyranny, arbitrariness, and impunity. Yet in practice, no institution should be considered immune to the social and political decay it adjudicates. The recent response by the Office of Chief Justice Mandisa Maya to explosive allegations by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, offers a revealing window into the judiciary's posture when confronted with internal accountability. Rather than welcoming scrutiny as a path to institutional purification, the OCJ's letter adopts a tone of cold proceduralism and veiled indignation, positioning itself as the aggrieved party in the face of whistleblowing. This reaction, cloaked in appeals to public confidence and formal reporting channels, exposes a deeper and more precarious trend: a judiciary increasingly allergic to critique, retreating into a defensive reflex that masquerades as integrity. In this regard, Chief Justice Mandisa Maya appears to continue the defensive trajectory set by her predecessor, former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who became increasingly known for his political interventions, particularly in moments when critical public commentary about the judiciary was raised. Zondo notably demanded an apology from politician Lindiwe Sisulu after she exercised poetic licence in her critique of the judiciary, drawing on a provocative phrase borrowed from American racial discourse, 'house and field niggers', to characterise perceived divisions and loyalties within South Africa's judicial ranks. The response by the Office of Chief Justice Mandisa Maya to Lt. General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's allegations is revealing, less for what it explicitly states and more for the posture it adopts. At face value, the OCJ's demand for 'credible evidence' and its warning that 'unsubstantiated claims can severely erode public confidence' in democratic institutions appear procedurally sound and appropriately cautious. However, when situated within the broader political climate and the weight of the allegations, this letter reads more like a strategic act of institutional defensiveness than a sincere commitment to truth-seeking or democratic transparency. The judiciary, by asserting that such allegations 'erode public confidence,' effectively reverses the burden, indirectly attempting to discipline the whistleblower rather than reflect critically on the legitimacy of the concerns raised. This is problematic. Mkhwanazi did not offer vague or populist sentiment; he made direct claims about the dismantling of police investigative structures and the shielding of political interests, naming Minister Senzo Mchunu and implicating parts of the justice system. These are not casual assertions; they are whistleblowing interventions made by a senior law enforcement officer in a context of systemic rot. The OCJ office will forgive us for deducing from its letter that the judiciary's tone, however, appears less concerned with institutional accountability than with preserving its image. Moreover, the suggestion that Mkhwanazi must use "formal reporting mechanisms" reveals an ironic detachment from the very reality he is exposing. If the allegation is that formal structures themselves are compromised, what good is a reporting mechanism that routes evidence through those same channels? This response seems to ignore the foundational lesson from South Africa's recent history of state capture: whistleblowers often had to go public precisely because formal structures had become captured, bureaucratised, or unresponsive. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Additionally, the judiciary's statement fails to acknowledge its embeddedness within a broader political system. It repeats the often-invoked but increasingly hollow idea of judicial impartiality, positioning the courts as neutral custodians of justice while ignoring the growing public scepticism about the politicisation of judicial appointments, inconsistent prosecutorial outcomes, and institutional inertia in high-profile cases. If the judiciary wishes to preserve public trust, it must do more than demand silence in the absence of documentation; it must demonstrate that it takes all allegations seriously, not just those that are politically convenient. Finally, the tone of the letter, couched in institutional concern, belies a deeper anxiety. The judiciary, like all organs of state, is not beyond scrutiny. South Africa's democratic ethos does not grant sacred status to any sector. Rather than deflect, the judiciary should embrace the opportunity to investigate itself, to reaffirm its legitimacy through transparency, and to actively protect whistleblowers like Mkhwanazi, whose bravery may be unsettling but whose voice is necessary. To underscore the judiciary as the full expression of a South African society, we only have to remind ourselves of a recent interview conducted by the Judicial Services Commission. Judge President L.T. Tlaletsi, during his recent appearance before the Judicial Service Commission, initially downplayed the relevance of the judiciary's newly developed sexual harassment policy by suggesting that sexual harassment was not a significant issue within the judiciary. However, his stance was swiftly challenged by Commissioner Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, who pointed out the glaring dissonance in such a claim. Ngcukaitobi highlighted that everyone present at the proceedings was well aware of incidents of inappropriate and unacceptable conduct among members of the judiciary, even if such cases had not been formally reported. This exchange not only revealed a concerning gap between leadership perception and institutional reality but also underscored the culture of silence that often surrounds misconduct in judicial spaces. If sexual harassment, despite its denial, is indeed present, then it becomes even more untenable to suggest that the judiciary is immune to other forms of wrongdoing, such as corruption and criminal collusion. The moment served as a powerful reminder that institutional integrity cannot be preserved through denial or procedural formalism but through transparent acknowledgement, accountability, and reform. The judiciary in South Africa often conducts itself as though it exists outside the moral and political realities of the society it serves, projecting an image of unassailable integrity, as if immune to the corruption that permeates other sectors. This perception is not only misleading but fundamentally unsustainable. Judges are not chosen from a separate moral universe; they are products of the same society, appointed through political processes, often by ruling party leaders. Many have never built independent or successful legal practices, opting instead for judicial office as a stable career path offering pension security. Their elevation depends on interviews before the Judicial Service Commission, an inherently political body. In a country where corruption is endemic and where no institution is beyond scrutiny, the notion that the judiciary is somehow exempt from compromise defies logic and reality. When Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi bravely tells the nation that politicians, the police, and the judiciary form part of South Africa's crime problem, it goes without saying that, as an admitted attorney, he would not make such serious allegations recklessly or without a substantive basis. It is therefore untenable for the public to be duped into imagining the judiciary, a present and functioning sector of society, as somehow exempt from such implications. On the contrary, any such allegation, regardless of the target, warrants full and impartial investigation. To shield the judiciary from public accountability based on presumed moral superiority is to ignore its embeddedness in the very social fabric it is meant to adjudicate. If transformation and transparency are to be pursued meaningfully, the judiciary cannot be treated as sacrosanct. The critical question remains: Does the OCJ's response genuinely inspire confidence in whistleblowers like Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi, or does it serve as a warning to future truth-tellers to remain silent? By focusing on the supposed dangers of "unsubstantiated allegations" rather than the urgent substance of Mkhwanazi's claims, the judiciary appears more concerned with reputational management than institutional accountability. This defensive posture not only undermines Mkhwanazi's credibility but also sends a discouraging signal to others within the state apparatus who may be privy to corruption or criminal collusion. If the judiciary cannot distinguish between malicious slander and principled whistleblowing, especially from a senior officer with legal training, then it risks reinforcing a culture of fear, deterring future disclosures, and eroding the very democratic values it claims to protect. I dare assert the statement issued by the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) does little to inspire confidence in Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi, or in any future whistleblowers who may come forward with uncomfortable truths about systemic corruption. Rather than signalling a willingness to engage the substance of Mkhwanazi's claims with seriousness and impartiality, the OCJ adopts a defensive tone that shifts focus to the potential damage of "unsubstantiated allegations" on public trust. This framing subtly disciplines the whistleblower while evading institutional introspection. Instead of reinforcing a culture of accountability, the OCJ's response risks entrenching the very culture of silence and fear that has long discouraged insiders from exposing misconduct. If the judiciary responds to courageous disclosures with procedural gatekeeping and implied censure, it sends a chilling message to potential whistleblowers: speak out, and you will be met with institutional rebuke, not support. Such a stance is fundamentally at odds with the values of transparency, justice, and democratic renewal. South Africa does not need another mythologised sector draped in self-righteous untouchability. If the judiciary is to maintain public confidence, it must do so not through declarations of purity but through demonstrable transparency and an unwavering commitment to introspection. When Lt. General Mkhwanazi calls out institutional decay, including within the justice system, the appropriate institutional response is not deflection or bureaucratic indignation, but a willingness to interrogate uncomfortable truths. Just as the judiciary cannot claim to be free from the scourge of sexual harassment, as the recent exchange between Judge President Tlaletsi and Commissioner Ngcukaitobi made clear, so too can it not claim exemption from the possibilities of corruption, bias, or systemic failure. Public trust is not sustained by denial, but by the courage to confront complicity. To restore what remains of that trust, the judiciary must accept that its integrity is not innate; it must be earned, preserved, and proven through fearless accountability. * Clyde N.S. Ramalaine is a theologian, political analyst, lifelong social and economic justice activist, published author, poet, and freelance writer. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.


The Citizen
15-07-2025
- The Citizen
Justice system under fire: Community slams inaction on GBV
Quick read: A heated community dialogue was held at Ngoako Ramahlodi by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Residents say a weak and slow justice system is fuelling crime and gender-based violence (GBV). Social activist Mabotse Mothiba shared a recent case of an elderly woman assaulted by her son — who still walks free. Residents say local teens involved in a fatal incident also faced no legal consequences. Men in attendance said police mocked or dismissed them when reporting abuse by female partners. Police Commissioner Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe urged victims to report abuse consistently. Minister Mamoloko Khubayi-Ngubane acknowledged GBV complaints and pledged to improve accountability. Full story POLOKWANE – A lenient and often unresponsive justice system is fuelling crime and gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa. That was the strong message from residents during a heated community dialogue hosted at Ngoako Ramahlodi by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on Thursday. Community members, including social activist and Westenburg CPF member Mabotse Mothiba, shared first-hand accounts of frustration, fear and injustice, blaming local law enforcement for failing to act swiftly on serious GBV cases. Minister Mamoloko Khubayi-Ngubane led the dialogue, which formed part of Mandela Month efforts to engage communities and strengthen justice systems across the country. Mothiba recounted a recent incident involving an elderly woman who was assaulted by her adult son. 'I found her lying in the street late at night. 'The next day, I went to her house and the son just laughed at me. He's still walking free. Nothing has been done,' she said. Her experience, she added, highlighted how law enforcement's inaction emboldens abusers and discourages whistleblowers. Other residents echoed these sentiments. 'One pointed out a case where local teens caused a death but were neither charged nor cautioned. 'These kids are still roaming the streets like nothing happened. It sends a dangerous message,' a resident said. The dialogue also shone a light on the gendered stigma surrounding GBV. Several men in attendance revealed how they were ridiculed or dismissed by police officers when attempting to report abuse from their female partners. 'We are mocked and not taken seriously because we don't fit the stereotype of a victim,' one man said. Law enforcement representatives in attendance, including provincial police commissioner Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe, acknowledged these concerns but urged victims to report abuse consistently. 'When victims remain silent, it weakens our efforts to bring justice and hold perpetrators accountable,' one official said. The minister admitted the department had received multiple distress calls from the region, flagging a rise in GBV-related incidents. 'That's why we're here, to listen and to find practical solutions,' Khubayi-Ngubane said, adding that the dialogue aimed to help restore faith in the justice system and address the urgent need for reform. She also committed to ensuring follow-ups and accountability, noting that no South African should feel unsafe or unheard when seeking justice. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!