Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Driver appears in court nearly three years after deadly crash

Soundbite: Julia Matsho

Almost three years after a deadly crash killed two bakery workers, the accused got his day in court after the intervention of AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit. Vusi Shongwe appeared in Atteridgeville Magistrates Court yesterday for the first time, charged with two counts of culpable homicide in connection with the collision he allegedly caused in the early hours of 20 August, 2022. Violet Matsho and Senzo Sithole died at the scene in WF Nkomo Street, Pretoria West.

Matsho, Sithole and three other colleagues were on their way home to Atteridgeville from work at around 2:30 am on 20 August 2022. According to the other passengers’ affidavits, a car driven by Shongwe veered onto their side of the road before colliding head-on with the car they were in.

Matsho’s older sister, Julia Matsho, a well-known and respected employee of AfriForum, approached the unit in November last year, concerned that the case was not being properly investigated. The last time she or her family were contacted by the police or informed of the status of the case was November 2022. The case was led by Slang Maangwale, an investigator at the Private Prosecution Unit, who initiated contact with both the SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to ensure the matter was brought to the attention of senior officials, and who followed up on the case on a regular basis to ensure it was eventually prosecuted.

Julia Matsho, accompanied by her siblings, expressed relief that the case was finally in court and hopes to see justice for her sister. “Today I’m feeling very happy because since she died it’s the first time I have seen him (the accused). I just want justice to be served for my sister and her friend. I’m happy about AfriForum helping us, to help my family,” she said.

Barry Bateman, spokesperson for the unit, says despite the government’s ongoing campaign to make roads safer, there appears to be very little being done to hold those responsible for collisions accountable. “Our experience shows that deadly road crashes are rarely properly investigated and are instead simply recorded, seemingly for reasons other than prosecuting the people who caused them. Without accountability for reckless drivers, any attempt to change driver behaviour will be futile.

“Another theme we see is the police’s failure to keep victims of crime informed about case developments. AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit will continue to demand, on behalf of victims and their famlies, that cases be thoroughly investigated and those affected kept informed of developments to ensure justice,” said Bateman.

Shongwe applied for legal aid during the court appearance. The case was postponed until 5 June to allow for docket disclosure.