Residents demand action on ‘corrupt’ Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court

Palm Ridge community members gathered outside the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court yesterday to hand over a memorandum of demands to the court management, who they accuse of corruption.

The gathering was organised by a non-profit organisation called Kathorus Parliament.

Only a few members of the community took part, while others stayed away for fear of alleged endangerment.

‘Down with corrupt prosecutor, magistrates’

Some of the demonstrators wore green reflectors and held placards that read “Down with corrupt prosecutors, down with corrupt magistrates”.

A woman claiming to be an alleged victim of the court wanted to remain anonymous because she works at the court.

Her case involves the arrest of suspects who held her at gunpoint and burgled and vandalised her home on the alleged instruction of her former spouse. He has been arrested for arson.

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She alleged: “After trying to kill me by burning down the house, my former spouse was arrested, but he told me he is not done. He sent these guys while I was home with my children to vandalise my home and threatened to kill me.”

The suspects allegedly received a six-month suspended sentence without being arrested.

She added: “Even today, I am still going to court to appeal this case because how can people who tried to kill me get only a suspension?”

Fried chicken bribe to ‘make case go away’

Kathorus Parliament leader Pearl Mazibuko said in another case of an elderly rape victim, a court official allegedly bought her fried chicken as a bribe to “make the case go away”.

The memorandum was received by court management who promised to revert to the group in seven days’ time. The memorandum demands that the listed cases be reviewed.

The department of justice was contacted for comment but no response was received at the time of going to print.

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