The justice minister wrote a letter expressing outrage at the way police handled a murder, reports Angella Johnson
THE family of an African National Congress (ANC) trainee diplomat killed at the Vaal Dam nearly a year ago, has received a letter of apology from Justice Minister Dullah Omar stating he was “outraged” with the way the matter was handled by the police and the attorney general’s office in the Free State.
Omar was responding to letters from the fiance and relatives of Nithianandan “Elvis” Govender protesting at what they described as “favourable treatment” afforded the man alleged to have carried out the murder.
“I myself was appalled and felt a sense of outrage at the way in which the matter was handled. The perception created was clearly one which reflected badly on the criminal justice system,” stated the minister in his strongly worded letter.
He expressed deep regret at the casual way in which the case against Allan Stokes – a local sailor charged with the murder – was handled. “I believe that an apology is due to the family. Insofar as I am the minister in overall charge of justice, I do indeed record my apology.”
Govender, a former ANC national organiser and a rising star in the new civil service, died on November 10 last year after he had boarded a catamaran owned by Stokes during a picnic with colleagues.
According to fellow trainee Jacqueline Coetzer, she and Govender had boarded the seemingly deserted catamaran to investigate loud noise coming from a radio. Stokes told police the couple broke into the vessel and looted his provisions.
Spotting them from the shore, Stokes raced to confront them in a motorised dinghy, allegedly armed with a machete. Govender died in the ensuing mle. His body was later recovered from the dam.
When Coetzer reached the shore she found Stokes chatting amicably with two policemen who tried to arrest her. No apparent attempt was made to find Govender.
Stokes was only charged with murder nearly four weeks later and only after a public outcry from his family and the ANC. He was given unconditional bail and allowed to leave the country to take part in the Cape to Rio yacht race. His trial is due to start next week.
Omar said the preception created was that the authorities had “bent over backwards to accommodate the accused”. The fact that he was not immediately arrested and locked up creates “a very strong suspicion of a friendly relationship with the police”, he added.
Govender’s fiance Roslyn Perkins, a British citizen living in London, says she is concerned the forthcoming trial is taking place in the regional court. “We wanted it held in the Supreme Court and are not happy with the reasons given against this,” she complained.
Omar has written to Free State Attorney General Muller van der Merwe expressing his dissatisfaction with the department. The minister received a reply which he described as “totally insensitive and inappropriate”.
Jo Hiemstra, deputy attorney general of the Free State, refused to comment on the row except to say: “The attorney general has made his views known to the minister and as this is an internal matter will be issuing no public statement.”