Eyes on Paarl murder case

ADVOCACY group Action Society has appointed a legal team to conduct a watching brief on the case of Siphokazi Booi, 27, who was brutally killed in Mbekweni, Paarl.

Booi’s dismembered and charred remains were discovered dumped at the train station on Sunday after she was allegedly killed by her boyfriend, Sithobele Qebe, 30, on Saturday night.

Qebe was later taken in for questioning and made his first court appearance at the Paarl Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. His case was postponed until Monday for further investigation.

It was revealed that Qebe had allegedly intentionally killed Booi, as she was to have testified against him in a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after he beat her up last month.

Action Society spokesperson Ian Cameron said Qebe was out on bail after being charged with assault for allegedly beating the deceased to the point where she had to be admitted to hospital.

Cameron said there were thousands of violent criminals walking free on the streets and the government had been failing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) victims like Booi on a daily basis due to their blatant disregard to the plight for justice in the country.

“Action Society will also announce further proceedings pertaining to this case and will take all the necessary steps to ensure that justice is served,” said Cameron.

He said the civil rights organisation had vowed to give a voice to Booi and other victims of GBVF who had been failed miserably by the justice system.

Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz had also promised to ask the advocate who works with GBV cases in their court watching brief unit to follow the case closely.

Winelands Cluster Community Policing Forum chairperson Dumisani Mziki said he was happy to see organisations and the department coming to assist in the case.

“This will assist in the improvement of service delivery, and that the police must train their members on how to deal with GBV cases at their stations,” said Mziki.

He said the initiative would also calm the community, because it did not only affect the Mbekweni area, but all the women of South Africa.

“This will be a lesson to all police officers to take GBV seriously and make sure that it is handled by professionals, Mziki said.