Cape Town - As criminal courts in Cape Town remain full, there’s a list of trials that have piqued the interest of the public and families to look out for next year.
Famed “Parliament arsonist” Zandile Mafe faces terrorism charges following the blaze at the New and Old Assembly that may take five years to fix.
Jean Paul Malgas, the former police officer who disarmed another police officer and allegedly killed three people at New Somerset Hospital will be back in the dock next year.
Piketberg police officer Richard Smit will also see his day before a judge next year following his denial of bail at the regional court.
The notorious “underground kingpin” Nafiz Modack has yet to face a judge in the high court while many other trials delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic have already wrapped up.
Along with Modack’s day before a judge, the conclusion in the murder matters of Meghan Cremer, Pete Mihalik and Brian Weinstein will keep the public on tenterhooks for next year.
Looking back at what the rebranded National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) – now referred to as “the people’s lawyer” – has done in the Western Cape with advocate Nicolette Bell at the reins leaves much to the imagination, but the Western Cape’s number of criminal convictions for 2022 remains unchallenged.
Convictions for the murder of Jesse Hess and Chris Lategan came as swiftly as the murder of Amahle Quku.
Baby killers Priscilla Morris and Vusumzi Potelwa both received “guilty” convictions and sentences while the matter of how 5-year-old Linathi Solontyi was placed in the care of strangers still hangs in the balance.
Other child murder cases, including the mysterious death of Robyn Lee Gertse, the death of Tashwell Junior Nel, Nathalia Pienaar, Ashwin Jones and the brutal killing of Likeshia Joubert and her grandfather have also seen steady progress.
Child rape cases further afield, such as that of Regan Gertse, whose killer Jakobus Petoors was handed two life sentences, was concluded without hesitation but the tragic deaths of Sharon Arries, Jacorien Vaaltyn and Jarobeijn Van Wyk still remain unaccounted for.
Further convictions for the death of Nosicelo Tsipa, Charlene October, Simnikwe Mfengu and Sesi Sibanyoni did well to prove that gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide is not an issue that will disappear overnight.
Yet the trial of Johan Williams, who has been dubbed the “Boland serial killer”, hopefully gave the public insight into the very obvious fact that the rights of victims and accused remain equal.