The disappearance of Sodwana Bay skipper John ‘Matambu’ Dercksen has resurfaced as one of several cases cited in a sharply worded letter from civil rights group AfriForum to acting Police Minister Prof Firoz Cachalia, highlighting what the organisation describes as systemic failures in South Africa’s ability to track down suspects.

The Zululand Observer reported that the letter, penned by Advocate Gerrie Nel, the head of AfriForum’s private prosecution unit, and Advocate Phyllis Vorster, lists multiple high-profile cases nationwide in which suspects remain at large, with little visible progress in arrests or limited tracking efforts by law enforcement.

On March 16, 2024, Matambu took a man later revealed to be Tomas Frederik ‘Ferdie’ Visser on a fishing charter from Sodwana Bay and did not return home.

Visser had booked the charter under a false name.

The burnt-out carcass of the boat, Magnum Too, was found washed up ashore in Mozambique the following day, with no sign of either man.

A manhunt ensued and Visser was located in Mozambique and apprehended.

A bungled extradition and later a non-appearance in court followed by Visser’s abscondment while doing community service in Barberton for another crime led to today’s situation – the only suspect in Matambu’s disappearance at large.

To date, neither Matambu nor his remains have been located.

The letter entitled: Failure to trace and arrest all known suspects and accused persons, underscores the ‘dire failure of proficient crime detection’ in South Africa.

“We write this at a time when the trust deficit between society and the SAPS is widening every day. We have four senior police generals appearing in court as accused persons, an acting national commissioner, and an acting minister of police. We are confronted daily with shocking revelations emanating from the Madlanga and other commissions,” said Nel.

In the letter, Nel references several serious cases countrywide, including the disappearance of Matambu, in which the police have failed to trace the suspects.

“The purpose of this letter is to implore the SAPS to fulfil their constitutionally mandated duty to combat and investigate crime, protect and secure the inhabitants of the country, and uphold and enforce the law. More specifically, we urge the police to act on [these cases] and to ensure justice for the victims by bringing the perpetrators to book,” continued Nel.

Matambu

Specifically mentioning the Matambu case, Nel said: “Despite numerous sightings of Visser in Mozambique and South Africa, for which information has been relayed to the SAPS, Visser has not been located or arrested.

“Notably, it must not be ignored that the same wanted person is sought on another matter [in Nelspruit], where he pursued his victim, drugged her, stripped her and after writing messages on her body, photographed her.

“The complainant suffered a horrific and demeaning sexual assault, and Visser inexplicably remains out of reach of SAPS.”

After receiving a copy of the letter, Cherie Eilertsen, Matambu’s sister, said she was grateful for her brother’s case to have been highlighted with the others, but is astounded at the situation.

“Why are these police officers collecting salaries if they’re not doing their jobs? John would always visit around Mother’s Day to see our mother, and for mine and our other brother’s birthdays. This made the Mother’s Day weekend incredibly difficult.

“But, had last week come, and John didn’t come for my birthday or for Mother’s Day, but Visser was rotting in jail, there would have been some retribution, but we don’t even have that. We don’t have anything to console ourselves with,” said Eilertsen in despair.

Nel said their clients feel abandoned by the investigating officers. “In some instances, false hope of referenced police procedure, that cases have been transferred to a ‘tracing unit’, is further disquieting by the failure or refusal by them to communicate with the victims of crime.

“It is the police’s use of inordinate resources in pursuing politically-sensitive cases, while apparently shrugging their shoulders when alleged rapists and murderers evade capture, which contributes to the loss of confidence in the authorities,” concluded Nel.

Comment from the office of the acting police minister was awaited at the time of publishing.

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