Johannesburg - When Elizabeth Koue was brutally murdered, allegedly by her lover, three years ago, her family were confident the justice system would bring them closure.
However, their hopes were dashed last week when the Protea Regional Court found the man who allegedly stabbed her to death in 2016, her live-in-lover Johnson Mashigo, not guilty.
Now the family want the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to take action against the prosecutor who they believed was incompetent.
Koue was allegedly stabbed to death by Mashigo in their shack in Phiri, Soweto. After the incident, he went on the run as the community had threatened mob violence and handed himself over to the police a few days later.
The family also wanted to appeal the case. In their complaint, the family wrote to Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutions Andrew Chauke.
Koue’s niece Kgomotso Mashaba said the family were shocked by the not-guilty verdict.
“We find the judgment by the court unthinkable and totally unacceptable. This man was discharged despite his abominable history of violence against women and the abuse he inflicted on our sister for many years.
"This court gave him a free ticket to freedom, thus allowing him to literally get away with murder.”
The family accused the prosecutor of not calling all the witnesses, including Mashigo’s niece, who was a witness, compromising the case.
“Having closely followed this case, we are strongly of the view that the prosecution delivered a thoroughly pathetic and inept case designed to deny our sister justice, simply because she could not speak for herself.
Speaking to The Star, Mashaba said: “It was disappointing for us as a family that this man was found not guilty. He was not even found guilty on a lesser charge of culpable homicide. We thought they would recognise the negligence of stabbing someone the way he did.
“This is an abusive person who has demonstrated many times that he doesn’t care. We are sitting with protection orders our aunt got against him. We provided them to the prosecution but they didn’t use them.”
NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane confirmed they had received a letter from the family.
“The office of advocate Chauke requested the chief prosecutor of the West Rand, Lynn Wessels, to furnish his office with a detailed report concerning these allegations.
"The NPA is also waiting for the transcribed record of proceedings”