The family of slain IFP supporter - shot dead outside a KZN court - want to know why charges against his alleged killer were dropped.
|||Durban - The family of slain IFP supporter Siyabonga Dlamini - shot dead outside the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court in October - want to know why charges against his alleged killer have been withdrawn.
National Freedom Party councillor Mzonjani Zulu had been arrested and charged with Dlamini’s murder.
Two shots were fired at Dlamini in full view of police, media and bystanders.
On June 26, charges against Zulu were withdrawn after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) failed to secure the raw SABC footage of the incident.
SABC spokesman, Kaizer Kganyago, said the public broadcaster could not refuse to hand over footage as it was in the public domain. The SABC could only give footage that was shown on television and not the raw material, he said.
Zulu defended his actions this week, claiming he had acted in self-defence.
He claimed Dlamini had wanted to stab him with a spear. Zulu said the unedited SABC video footage would prove his claims.
But Dlamini’s family are fuming. A relative, who did not want to be named because he feared for his life, said the family were angry and struggling to understand why the charges were withdrawn.
The relative said that when he saw pictures in a newspaper of his cousin lying dead on the street, he was devastated.
The issue of the video footage not being released made no sense to the family, he said.
“What are they actually saying? I need someone to explain to me exactly how the courts work.”
He said the family could not understand why witnesses were not called in to testify about what they had seen transpire that morning.
“Why rely on footage when there were people who saw what happened?”
He said the justice system had failed the family, and described Dlamini as a good person who had loved his family.
The NPA said it was looking into the matter.
mpume.madlala@inl.co.za
Daily News