LANGEBAAN residents have expressed disappointment at the decision by acting Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Advocate Nicolette Bell to decline to prosecute Springbok player Eben Etzebeth.
Nearly two years ago charges were laid against Etzebeth and his cousin Emile Etzebeth, after they were accused of assault and racial slurs in a 2019 incident in Langebaan.
Sources close to the victims say they were disappointed because they wanted justice to be served.
A resident from the area, who does not want to be identified, said he was very upset when he found out that the cousins got off the hook.
“The victims waited for two years just for this to happen. The least that should have happened is that the case could have been taken to court for a judge to make a decision,” he said.
“Eben Etzebeth is a high-profile person and it's as if the locals mean nothing to our judicial system. They deserve justice too,” he said.
The complainants in the matter Enver Wilsnach, 42, and Siyaad Smith, 21, alleged that they had been assaulted and struck in the face with a firearm.
The Langebaan resident said multiple people had given statements as eyewitnesses, saying that Eben had assaulted the two victims.
“A day after the incident, police were saying there is no case. At the time they had not even taken any statements from eyewitnesses,” he said.
He added: “The outcome of this case was decided from day one before any investigations were done.”
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Friday that after a protracted investigation, the two counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm were preferred against Emile.
The rugby player was never charged in the matter. Last year, the SA Rugby Union found that Etzebeth was not guilty of either racism or assault after an internal investigation into the incident.
The NPA said that its evaluation revealed that one of the two independent witnesses could not identify the assailant who assaulted the two complainants.
“The initial identification made by the second witness could not, following the consultation, be relied upon to sustain a prosecution.”
On Saturday, Etzebeth was hailed man of the match when the Springboks celebrated a 30-15 win over Scotland. The second-rower who played his 96th Test against Scotland said he’s grateful to God for the opportunity to have played in Scotland.
The Langebaan resident said the Langebaan community would have appreciated it if the victims had received an apology from Etzebeth.