The Director of Public Prosecutions, North Gauteng (DPP) notes with concern the current media reports on the many initiation deaths that occurred during May 2013 in the area of Mpumalanga. This issue has been part of the subsequent DPP senior management meetings since 27 May 2013.
Our cluster based Chief Prosecutors are ensuring that all matters receive focussed attention. This whole process assists in ensuring that the investigations are fully conducted until there is nothing more that can be done for purposes of instituting a successful prosecution.
It is of course the duty of the South African Police Services (SAPS) and not that of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to investigate suspected criminal matters and to effect such arrests where there is a suspected perpetrator(s).
It should also be taken with an utmost consideration that any case that alleges the commission of a crime is brought to the attention of the public prosecution. This is done for purposes of a decision to prosecute or not to prosecute. This decision is only feasible when there is a person who is alleged to have committed a crime, can be identified, arrested and appears in the court of law.
The other purpose may be for a decision to hold an inquest. This is done in all instances when there is an unnatural or inflicted death and no one can be attributed to have committed such a crime. An inquest must be held if no prosecution is instituted as a result of no one being suspected and identified as an alleged perpetrator.
Despite the mentioned responsibilities, processes and procedures that we follow as prosecution, we have a continuous follow up with the SAPS in an endeavour to have all related matters identified and where possible to assist with prosecution guided investigations.
We do have a full support from as far as the office of the SAPS Provincial Commissioner in Mpumalanga to ensure that all steps taken receive a focussed attention. This is shown by an established task team in the Mpumalanga SAPS under the leadership of Captain Boshielo which ensures that all matters regarding the deaths of these initiates are well investigated.
We have obtained information on quite a number of matters that are still under investigation. However, no arrests have been made up to so far in all of them. Some of the dockets were submitted to prosecution by SAPS for perusal and direction and they were all sent back for further investigations.
The office of the DPP, which serves the jurisdictional areas of Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North Gauteng and part of the North West province, has indeed made a concerted effort to ensure the deaths of these initiates receive an undivided attention as much as possible within our roles and responsibilities as the NPA.
