Police torture case provisionally withdrawn
State fails to provide an interpreter for Juma Igiraneza
Juma Igiraneza was assaulted by police in Mowbray in 2023. Archive photo: Mary-Anne Gontsana
The case of three police officers accused of torturing barber Juma Igiraneza has been provisionally withdrawn because an interpreter was unavailable. Igiraneza did not arrive at the court for the hearing on Wednesday.
Lieutenant Colonel Delmore Manuel, Constable Jermaine Conradie and Constable Leigh-Ann Maroon appeared before Magistrate Karel Meyer at the Wynberg Regional Court in Cape Town for what was supposed to be the start of their trial.
The state prosecutor asked for the matter to be postponed in order for an interpreter to be found for Igiraneza, saying “the complainant is eager to testify but it is clear that he needs an interpreter”.
Igiraneza did not appear. The state said he had been told by telephone on Tuesday to come to court the following day. But when proceedings started on Wednesday, Igiraneza had not arrived.
The three legal representatives of the police officers asked for the matter to be “removed from the roll” citing constant delays and postponements, the costs to their clients, their rights to a speedy trial, and the state not being ready.
Manuel, Conradie and Maroon are accused of torturing Igiraneza during a raid at his workplace in Mowbray on 7 November 2023.
The trial was meant to start in July 2024. But since being transferred from the Wynberg District Court to the regional court in June 2024, the case has been postponed eight times for representations, plea negotiations and a change of legal counsel.
Speaking to GroundUp over the phone, Igiraneza said he was now working as a barber in the Eastern Cape. He had only found out that he had to be in court when he received a phone call on Tuesday and had left the same evening.
“I unfortunately got to Cape Town after the matter had been heard,” said Igiraneza.
He is from Burundi and speaks Kirundi. He said he found communication with the court difficult, especially since he moved to the Eastern Cape six months ago.
Magistrate Meyer told the prosecutor, “I agreed to this date for trial so the interpreter could be arranged. The court gave the state the opportunity to make arrangements. Yesterday, I told you to make sure the interpreter is available. Today I am being told there isn’t one. I know getting foreign interpreters is a problem but you had time.”
He turned to the accused and said, “The matter is provisionally withdrawn for the state to get their house in order. For now, you can go.”
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