During March/April 2023 Mr Thabo Bester, referred to supra, was constantly in the news. He is, of course, the man who allegedly “burnt to death” in his cell at the Mangaung Correctional Centre. He first gained notoriety as the so-called Facebook rapist. On 3 May 2022, Thabo is reported as dead after a fire had […]
Thabo Bester’s Escape From Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein Read More »
buy this article By Brig Dirk Lambrechts IntroductionA petty crime/offence (Afrikaans: “‘n geringe/nietige/klein misdaad/misdryf”) means that the crime/offence concerned (usually theft-related, but see S v Visagie infra) is embodied in the Latin maxim de minimis non curat lex which literally means that “the law does not concern itself with trifles or paltriness”. Translated into Afrikaans,
What is a petty offence? Read More »
– S v Davids and Others, High Court, Cape Town dated 31 October 2022 (WCC) Four accused persons appeared in a summary trial before the High Court in Cape Town, charged with 11 charges. These charges are as follows: (1) two counts of contravening section 9(1)(a) and section 9(2)(a) of the Prevention of Organised Crime
Criminal gang activities Read More »
– Lehlehla v Minister of Police, (1315/2014) [2022] ZAWCHC 235 (17 November 2022) (WCC) Ms Dibakiso Alleta Lehlehla, the plaintiff (Afrikaans: “eiser”), claimed damages (Afrikaans: “skadevergoeding”) from the Minister of Police, the defendant (Afrikaans: “verweerder”), of R2.7 million before the High Court in Cape Town, from an incident that occurred on 10 August 2011 in
buy the april issue By Kotie Geldenhuys The kidnapping of the four Moti brothers on 20 October 2021 from Polokwane in Limpopo, while they were on their way to school, by a gun-wielding gang sounded like something from a movie. Especially since the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of R50 million. Three weeks later the
Kidnapping has become a lucrative crime Read More »
buy the april issue By Annalise Kempen Forensic science and the application thereof have become more familiar to the public mostly due to television programmes such as the infamous CSI and NCIS that feature some of the forensic methods commonly used to solve crime. We have also become accustomed to the fact that forensic experts
Meet the “language detectives”: The importance of forensic linguistics Read More »
buy the april issue Compiled by Kotie Geldenhuys Benjamin Franklin said that there are only two things certain in life, namely death and taxes, and yet, many people are uncomfortable when talking about death. When the concept of assisted death is added to a conversation, many people will find an excuse not to participate. But
Assisted death/suicide: the right to die? Read More »
buy the april issue Article by Kotie Geldenhuys; photos provided by the VIC Victim identification is the process of determining the identity of a person who was killed in a disaster or a victim of a crime or to determine whether an unidentified body was that of a person who was reported as missing. Victim
The Victim Identification Centre: giving closure to families Read More »
Buy the June issue By Kotie Geldenhuys “When growing up in an environment where your father does not care about you and never gives you a pat on the back saying ‘well done’, it open doors for gangsterism. The gang leader will take on that role. He will tell you ‘well done’. That is how
The “father wound”: A lifetime of pain Read More »
buy the june issue Compiled by Annalise Kempen Nobody volunteers to become a victim of human trafficking or modern slavery. And yet, it seems so easy for some individuals to be coerced or threatened into a position where they are being exploited. This is especially so when they are vulnerable or desperate to find employment
Follow the money behind human trafficking Read More »
