Justice for Tshegofatso Pule Amidst Continuing Delays in the Justice System

The life sentence handed to Ntuthuko Shoba for the 2020 murder of Tshegofatso Pule, is a welcome step that signals the willingness of the judicial system to combat gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has been concerned with the long periods it takes the courts to finalise GBVF cases before them. Although we are pleased that justice has been served in the Tshegofatso Pule murder case, the deceased's family had to wait for two years for this conclusion.

The Commission's court monitoring processes over the years have discovered mounting frustration as the justice system continues to be plagued by deeply embedded systemic constraints such as poor investigative capacity by the police, absence of crucial witnesses leading to cases collapsing due to lack of evidence, frequent changes of prosecutorial teams, failure to set court dates on time and many other factors.

The Commission is aware of the laudable policies, procedures and legislative frameworks put in place by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to ensure an effective administration of justice. Yet these systemic constraints continue to undermine the policy intentions.

The Commission would like to call on the Justice Cluster to prioritise GBVF cases and address these systemic challenges in the administration of justice.