DURBAN - While the Glencoe farmer accused of shooting and killing a teenage boy on a farm will be appearing in Glencoe Magistrates Court for bail application, a civil rights organisation AfriForum said it will brief the media on its reasons for backing the accused.
AfriForum’s head of policy and action Ernst Roets said they will on Thursday announce reasons, for the organisation’s involvement in the case of Simpson, who is accused of murder.
The same day Garth Simpson, 68, will be appearing for the third time in Glencoe Magistrates Court for his bail application.
He is facing a murder charge, after he allegedly shot and killed Qiniso Dlamini on the farm.
“After the incident AfriForum appointed Dr Llewelyn Curlewis, a criminal law expert, to investigate the case and make certain recommendations. Curlewis will give feedback regarding his investigation during the conference,” Roets said.
The organisation said the briefing will be held after the accused has appeared in court.
It is alleged that Dlamini was collecting cows belonging to his family when he was shot in the abdomen. He died at the scene.
Simpson is also charged with the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Endumeni mayor, Sduduzo Mdluli, denounced AfriForum’s stance on the matter, saying it undermined the decision to keep the people calm, and could fuel racial tensions, which will result in the AfriForum being held responsible.
“It can’t be that a person commits murder and someone takes the side of a perpetrator rather than that of a victim. This is a revelation of what we have been saying that AfriForum was always about reversing the gains of democracy,” Mdluli said.
He added that they had called for the people of Glencoe to be calm down and to trust the justice system on this matter.
“We warn that AfriForum’s stance on the matter should not contaminate the peace that is in Glencoe.”
“We need to sympathise with those who have lost their loved ones, not the perpetrators,” Mdluli said.
Doctor Dlamini, a relative of the deceased, said all the family wanted was to see justice.
He said the only thing that would heal their hearts would be to see the perpetrator serve a long sentence.
He urged the government to expedite the expropriation of land without compensation so that they could live freely on their land of birth.
Dlamini said the farm where they lived had belonged to a farmer who now lived in the Free State, and had sold it to another farmer. They were opposed to the sale because they wanted the land to be returned to them.
To comment on this story send a WhatsApp message to our BackChat column on 071 485 7995
Daily News