Above Suspicion Victims Convicted for Erroneous Reasons

By: Luviwe Pinda and Yonela Makana

Innocent human beings are being convicted for several crimes, which they did not commit. In its place, the main culprits are on view, committing more illegal activities. The murder cases, exclusively, are investigated in such a manner that, the suspect is never given an opportunity to defend him/herself. Even those who have access to evidence that proves the accused not guilty, anticipate to be bribed, so that they set free the evidence. It is however an act of egocentricity to hold on to what could help the next person because you expect money in return.

     

An illustration from the novel Unyana Womntu, a chartered accountant married to a nurse, and their marriage gets in a quandary position, whereby, the wife is killed. The husband is on the other hand, considered to have committed the murder which he did not do. Even though he did have an alibi, stating that he had gone to visit his wife and attend a cricket match, the police detectives failed to investigate the crime and give conclusive evidence. Instead, they accused him of stabbing his spouse to death.

As much as we believe that South African Police Service (SAPS) works hand in hand with the community to catch the perpetrators, they fail to catch them, simply because they make friends with gangsters so they can put more food on the table for their families. The SAPS makes huge clanger, in such a way that innocent people are denounced as criminals, to such an extent, that their reputation has been ruined, due to errors being made. In most instances, the victims would be unaware of the errors, until criminal checks are made; they even find it difficult to get employed.