ActionSA will be writing to the National Director of Public Prosecution, Advocate Shamila Batohi, demanding an investigation into the decision not to oppose bail for hardened criminal, Kaizer Gwebu, who has once again been set loose on the public.
This comes after disappointing reports that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) allowed Gwebu to walk free following his re-arrest for the contravention of his parole conditions. Gwebu was the chief architect of the arson attack against the settlement where the Lily Mine families have been staying while protesting to have the bodies of their loved ones retrieved from the now-abandoned Lily Mine. He has also been convicted of murder, armed robbery, and illegal possession of a gun and ammunition, for which he was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. Gwebu’s attack on the Lily Mine families was a clear violation of his parole conditions which remain in force till 2033.
These facts make the Mpumalanga NPA’s decision not to oppose bail all the more dumbfounding. The NPA’S actions are a clear example of how the criminal justice system fails good and law-abiding South Africans by protecting criminals. It is equally disturbing to receive reports that Gwebu’s victims, the Lily Mine families, were denied access to today’s court proceedings. Since his arson attack, Gwebu, together with his accomplices, has relentlessly harassed both the Lily Mine families, their supporters – all of whom now fear for their wellbeing.
It remains our position that Gwebu poses a direct threat to public safety, the Lily Mine families and their supporters. It is now evident that the NPA has no intention of seeing justice done in this case. Indeed, it was only through the intervention of ActionSA’s legal team, writing to the Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Services in Mpumalanga, that Gwebu was arrested for violating the terms of his parole. Up till then, Gwebu was out on bail following his attack on the Lily Mine families.
It is intolerable that the Lily Mine families and their supporters are subjected to the prospect of further fear and intimidation at the hands of a Gwebu who continuously breaks the law. In light of this, we have also instructed our legal team to pursue every available legal avenue for opposing this injustice.
After 5 years of asking, petitioning, and pleading for government support regarding their plea to have their loved ones retrieved from the abandoned mine, the families at Lily Mine continue to be treated with disdain. As ActionSA, we are not prepared to sit back and allow our criminal justice system to be hijacked by criminals, and we will continue to act and speak in defence of law-abiding citizens of our country without fear or favour.
