Johannesburg - Action Society has reacted to the news that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has dropped charges of rape against 14 suspected illegal zama zamas who were linked to the rape of eight women at West Village in July 2022.
On Thursday, the Krugersdorp Magistrates' Court acquitted the 14 illegal miners of all the charges of rape, sexual assault, and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Kaylynn Palm of Action Society, the civil rights organization, is outraged over the news that the suspects will no longer be charged with rape allegations due to insufficient evidence as suggested by the NPA following three months of investigations.
"It is an absolute outrage that it took three months to process the DNA of suspects in the Krugersdorp film crew rape case... Had the DNA backlog been cleared, the national register of sex offenders been up to date, and the DNA samples of convicted offenders been taken before January this year, the case could have been nearing completion," Palm said.
The NPA said following this acquittal, the suspects now only face charges of contravening the Immigration Act.
The group of illegal miners, including the minor, were apprehended following a joint operation in the West Village and surrounding areas after a production company visited the area to film a music video. The women are alleged to have been robbed and raped at gunpoint as they were filming the video. The accused were part of the more than 80 suspected illegal zama zamas who were arrested in the wake of the rape incident.
The spokesperson for the NPA, Phindi Mjonondwane, said the NPA decided to withdraw the charges of rape, sexual assault and robbery with aggravating circumstances against the accused, adding that the prosecution of contravention of the Immigration Act would continue at the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court. In August, the NPA said it was confident of a successful prosecution against the accused.
"Upon consultation with the complainants in the matter and the evidential material currently at the disposal of the NPA, it became apparent that there is insufficient evidence to proceed with the prosecution. Prosecutorial-guided investigations will continue in the pursuit of justice for all women affected by this," Mjonondwane said.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said that the alleged illegal miners remained in custody and would now only face a charge of contravening the Immigration Act.
"The decision to withdraw all the mentioned charges was informed by the outcome of the DNA results, which excluded all the accused, as well as a consultation process that the NPA had with all the complainants in the matter," she added.
The Star
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