Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Media statements | Private prosecution Media statements

The state investigates body possibly linked to kidnapping case involving SANDF soldiers

ByAfriForum 19/09/202219/09/2022

The kidnapping and assault case involving three South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers took an unexpected turn in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court today. The State Prosecutor told the court that it is strongly suspected that a badly burnt body recently discovered is one of the two men who have been missing since February.

The case involves two men – Sibusiso Phetla (39) and Jerome Lebaka (41) – who were kidnapped on 13 February this year. AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit is on a watching brief on behalf of Phetla’s mother, Mirriam Phetla.

Soldiers Sinovuyo Botha, Aviwe Dosi and Sindile Ncomelo have been charged with the kidnapping and assault of Phetla and Lebaka. AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit has been reliably informed that two of the country’s most senior generals have also been implicated in the crime – but despite instructions from the prosecutor for them to be arrested, this has not happened.

The Prosecutor told the court that DNA samples have been obtained from the recently discovered body as well as the parents of one of the missing men. The matter was postponed until 8 February 2023 to ensure the DNA results are available to the court.

In August, AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit filed a service complaint with the SAPS against the investigator who had been assigned to the case. The unit was reliably informed that the detective had simply ignored several instructions from the prosecutor and as a result numerous aspects of the investigation were still outstanding.