‘His killers bragged that nothing will happen,’ says widow in unsolved murder

Developments in the case of murdered soccer star Senzo Meyiwa have not only demonstrated the power of public pressure but also brought into sharp focus the plight of a horde of ordinary people with no hope for justice, more than a decade after their loved ones were murdered.

For some of these families, the Meyiwa case evokes horrific memories of how the justice system failed them, leaving their emotional wounds to fester with no closure from seeing those responsible pay.

Emily Masombuka’s husband, a breadwinner and father of three, and another patron were gunned down in cold blood and 10 others injured when gunmen opened fire in a shebeen on the evening of 18 February, 2005, in Matjhirini, Mpumalanga.

Her husband, Thomas Mphakathi Mahlangu, 46, died at the scene and Christinah Skhosana died the next day in hospital.

Three people were arrested in connection with the incident but Masombuka said it was clear from the beginning that the case would never get anywhere.

Three people were arrested in connection with the incident but Masombuka said it was clear from the beginning the case would never get anywhere.

She said although the cartridges were retrieved from the scene, the firearm used was seized and there were scores of witnesses, the case was botched up and thrown out for lack of evidence.

“It is painful to see high-profile cases solved because those involved are rich and famous. What about us, the poor and ordinary people? Don’t we deserve justice and closure for our pain and loss? The worst part is the people who killed him bragged that nothing will happen and they were right,” Masombuka said.

She said their complaint about the handling of the case has been ignored and they have since given up hope of seeing justice done, which was destroying her and the children.

“Our pain is compounded by the fact that my mother-in-law died in 2013, longing for justice and in distress that his killers remain free.”

In February 2018, then police minister Fikile Mbalula announced the unveiling of Cold Case Strategy as part of the SA Police Service’s turnaround vision for 2018, introduced by National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole.

The Cold Case Strategy focuses on cases that remain unsolved and the Meyiwa case was one of those that police at the time said was being attended to, including many others involving trio crimes (carjacking, robbery at residences and at non-residential premises), gender-based violence and other serious crimes.

More than two years later, the unit appears to have very little to show for its existence except for the Meyiwa case, which got off to an anecdotal start at the Boksburg magistrate court yesterday.

Asked about the success of the unit since it was formed, national police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo, said it was too early to tell.

“We are not going to communicate that anytime soon seeing that it is a relatively new unit,” he added.

Chad Thomas of IRS Forensic Investigations said cold cases were in all probability the cases which were the most emotive for families left searching for answers.

Thomas noted three specific cold cases which had left families emotionally broken and seeking answers years later.

“The cold case involving the disappearance of Nazeer Mohammed in 2012 and the presumption that he is dead, has left his close knit family devastated. The cold case involving the unsolved disappearance of Ralph Haynes in 2011 has left his wife Jacqueline distraught with more questions than answers.

“The brutal murder of Jayesh Hari in 2009 remains unsolved and left his young son an orphan as his mother had passed away prior to Jayesh’s murder. What all three of these cases have in common are suspects and leads that the families do not believe have been followed up on properly,” he said.

Former policeman Dawie Naude said the lack of ability due to the loss of experienced detectives, resources and caseloads has resulted in many murders going unsolved.

He said the first 24-hours were critical in any investigations and only assigned to the most senior detectives in the unit. The processing of the crime scene for forensic evidence and witnesses was key, he added.

According to Naude, now a specialist private investigator at Sleuth Investigative Services, a Johannesburg-based detective agency, before 1994, police had the Murder and Robbery Squad, which would be on a murder scene within minutes, with top  members, including the commander, processing the scene.

“Now you have one detective with 10 cases, experienced detectives have left, there are no resources and the morale is low. Also, the SAPS was designed to serve a few minority and it is unfortunate that it has not been realigned to serve the rest of the population. We cannot blame the police, it is the system that needs to change,” he said.

-siphom@citizen.co.za

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