Schoolboy assault case – accused pleads guilty
Oupa Chembe was accused of assaulting Oosthuizen, who was a schoolboy at the time of the incident.
The 52-year-old man who was on trial for assaulting 19-year-old Zander Oosthuizen and damaging his property has pleaded guilty at the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court.
This was on Monday, October 17 and comes after a year of postponement in the case due to alleged interference.
Oupa Chembe was accused of assaulting Oosthuizen, who was a schoolboy at the time of the incident, and damaging his vehicle outside Key West Shopping Centre in August 2021.
The case was postponed previously when Chembe’s defence claimed they never received CCTV footage of the incident, which is regarded as a crucial piece of evidence in the case.
According to Andrew Leask, Chief Investigator for AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, they became involved in the case after it appeared that there were signs of improper interference with the investigation.
“The alleged interference includes late-night calls to the complainant requiring him to go to the police station to discuss the case and even “appointments” with the prosecutor to “settle” the case. The case was also adjourned several times in court, which led to further frustration of the administration of justice. However, in July this year, the case was assigned to Advocate Jenna Downs, a prosecutor from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), who handled the case well and argued excellently for aggravation of sentence. We are delighted that the case could finally, after a year of frustration, be concluded in a meaningful way. The fact that we were able to ensure that the law took its course and that there were consequences for criminal conduct is not only a victory for the complainant, but also for justice,” said Leask.
Chembe was sentenced to a R3 000 fine or three months’ imprisonment.
Meanwhile Oosthuizen said he is happy that justice has been done.
“I am very relieved that the case is finally over. It was important to me to see this case through to the end to ensure justice was done. The fact that the accused came to apologise after the proceedings helped me get further closure. I am grateful for the Private Prosecution Unit’s involvement in this case to make sure that it did not simply disappear,” said Oosthuizen.
