Anene: possible new witnesses found

Anene Booysen was raped and murdered at a building site in Bredasdorp in February 2013.

Anene Booysen was raped and murdered at a building site in Bredasdorp in February 2013.

Published Apr 22, 2014

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Western Cape -

Four potential witnesses who apparently were never interviewed by police may have information that could lead private investigators to identifying more suspects in the Anene Booysen rape and murder case.

And her family has welcomed the private probe because they believe Johannes Kana, 22, the only person convicted in the matter, could not have acted alone.

But provincial police commissioner Arno Lamoer said a proper investigation had been done.

Anene, 17, was raped, disembowelled and left for dead near a local pub in Bredasdorp early on February 2 last year.

She died later in Tygerberg Hospital after managing to say “Zwai and his friends” were behind the crimes.

Jonathan “Zwai” Davids, a friend of Booysen’s family, was arrested, but later released from custody because he could not be linked to the incident.

Last year, Kana, the only other suspect in the case, was sentenced to two life terms after being convicted of raping and killing her. He had pleaded guilty to raping and beating Anene, but not to killing her.

Kana’s legal representative, Pieter du Toit, said Kana’s family had since hired two private investigators he declined to name, to look into the case.

“We’ve found (four) possible witnesses. Once interviewed, we’ll know if they’re real witnesses,” Du Toit said.

He said the possible witnesses had not been interviewed by police.

Kana had applied to appeal against his conviction last year, but this had been refused.

Du Toit said they would petition the Judge President to again try to go ahead with an appeal.

On Monday, a source close to the investigation, who did not want to be identified, confirmed it was believed that others had been involved in attacking Anene.

“(Kana) couldn’t have done it alone. Everybody knows. Other names have been mentioned… there are other people that haven’t been charged. They are going to rape another girl,” he said.

The source said in order to try to pay the private investigators, Kana’s family had resorted to selling hotdogs to raise funds.

Last week, Lamoer told the Cape Times that if Kana’s legal team suspected others were behind the crimes, they should apply to the Supreme Court of Appeal.

“We believe we’ve done a proper investigation,” he said, adding there had been a trial which had led to a conviction.

 

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Cape Times

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