{"id":104091,"date":"2025-11-03T09:12:53","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T09:12:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/?p=104091"},"modified":"2025-11-03T09:13:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T09:13:03","slug":"which-court-simple-decision-holds-up-culpable-homicide-case-for-more-than-a-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/which-court-simple-decision-holds-up-culpable-homicide-case-for-more-than-a-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Which court? Simple decision holds up culpable homicide case for more than a year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Desire-Keating_English.mp3\"><\/audio><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Desire Keating (English)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Barry-Bateman_English.mp3\"><\/audio><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Barry Bateman (English)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer to the straightforward and uncomplicated question of whether a culpable homicide case should be heard in either the district court or the regional court has evaded National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) officials for more than a year. After AfriForum\u2019s Private Prosecution Unit intervened in April 2024, the NPA decided to prosecute Gareth Webster in August last year for the crash that killed a wife and mother Danielle van Jaarsveld, but the case has yet to be enrolled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Unit represents Van Jaarsveld\u2019s sister, Desire Keating. Webster is accused of reckless and negligent driving following a collision involving his Audi SQ5 performance SUV and Van Jaarsveld\u2019s Kia sedan three years ago (6 November 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1017\" data-id=\"104084\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Danielle-van-Jaarsveld-1024x1017.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-104084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Danielle-van-Jaarsveld-1024x1017.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Danielle-van-Jaarsveld-300x298.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Danielle-van-Jaarsveld-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Danielle-van-Jaarsveld-768x762.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Danielle-van-Jaarsveld-1536x1525.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Danielle-van-Jaarsveld.jpg 1642w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Danielle van Jaarsveld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"104088\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Kia-1024x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-104088\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Kia-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Kia-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Kia-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Kia-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Kia-600x600.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Kia.jpeg 1512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Kia she was driving<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Barry Bateman, Spokesperson for the Unit, says the delay is unacceptable. \u201cEither the Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions is incapable of making such a simple decision or is unwilling to make the decision. Either way, it exposes the complete collapse of the criminal justice system and the incapacity of NPA officials who are expected to ensure justice for victims of crime. It\u2019s been three years since the deadly crash, and the matter has not gone to trial because the NPA can\u2019t decide whether it should be heard in the district court or the regional court. It\u2019s farcical,\u201d says Bateman.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The crash took place on Swartvlei Beach Road, a few hundred metres from the Sedge Links Golf Course in Sedgefield, where Webster was attending a golf day. Surveillance footage shows how the force of the impact launched the Kia backwards in the direction it was coming from, before rolling several times onto the side of the road. The SQ5 belonged to Webster\u2019s employer, Audi Centre George. Webster and his passenger, who was also a golf day attendee, escaped without serious injuries. Van Jaarsveld died on the way to the hospital while her passenger Monique van Zyl, her sister-in-law, suffered serious injuries. The pair were on their way to the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Keating says this coming Thursday (6 November) marks three years since the horrific accident. \u201cThe persistent inaction and the continued silence from the NPA has had a profound impact on our family. What should have been a clear and simple decision from the NPA has instead become a long, painful wait. For the past three years we have lived in a state of uncertainty, waiting for the NPA to make what should be a straightforward decision. It has also raised serious questions about the NPA\u2019s ability or willingness to fulfil its constitutional mandate to ensure that justice is done.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cEach day that passes without progress hinders our ability to heal and to find some semblance of peace and closure. It has prolonged our emotional distress and has left us deeply disheartened as our faith in the justice system erodes. Justice delayed is justice denied. Other victims of reckless driving cases around the same time have seen their justice served and so should we. We therefore make a sincere and urgent appeal to the NPA yet again. Act decisively and allow this case to proceed to trial. Restore our trust in the institutions that are supposed to uphold justice for all,\u201d pleads Keating.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The Private Prosecution Unit represents several families of victims killed in road accidents. \u201cOur experience shows that the police and the NPA do not take culpable homicide cases seriously. Often, the crash scenes are not properly recorded, witness statements are not timeously taken, and reports remain incomplete for years. If the cases eventually make it to court, they often encounter further delays which causes additional frustration for the victims\u2019 families,\u201d says Bateman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Unit will continue to place pressure on the NPA to ensure that the case is enrolled and Webster is prosecuted. Meanwhile, on Thursday (6 November 2025) the Unit will accompany Keo Mavimbela to Tembisa Magistrates\u2019 Court, where Shaune Mogaile will face a charge of culpable homicide. Mogaile, a professional football player, was driving a BMW when it collided head on with Mavimbela\u2019s car, killing her nine-year-old daughter, Gomolemo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The answer to the straightforward and uncomplicated question of whether a culpable homicide case should be heard in either the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":43303,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11162,11163],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media-statements","category-private-prosecution-media-statements"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":11162,"label":"Media statements"},{"value":11163,"label":"Private prosecution Media statements"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Hof-feat-1024x512.png",1024,512,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"AfriForum","author_link":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/author\/meganswart\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":11162,"name":"Media statements","slug":"media-statements","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":11162,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":2588,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":11162,"category_count":2588,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Media statements","category_nicename":"media-statements","category_parent":0},{"term_id":11163,"name":"Private prosecution Media statements","slug":"private-prosecution-media-statements","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":11163,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":11162,"count":350,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":11163,"category_count":350,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Private prosecution Media statements","category_nicename":"private-prosecution-media-statements","category_parent":11162}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/110"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104091"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104091\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104096,"href":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104091\/revisions\/104096"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}