NPA vows to give feedback on 2017 murder case of Popi and Bongeka within a week

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has vowed to provide an update within a week on the progress of the murder case of friends Popi Qwabe and Bongeka Phungula.

This as Phungula's family opened up about the painful wait for justice, more than six years after their deaths.

The family and others gathered for a picket outside the NPA offices in Pretoria, demanding justice. 

Phungula‚ 28‚ and Qwabe‚ 24‚ were killed in 2017 during a night out in Soweto.

At some point that night, the women flagged down a minibus taxi for a lift to Maponya Mall. Phungula's body was found in Tladi and Qwabe's in Naledi.

What followed was questionable police investigation, which led to the case being thrown out of court because of lack of evidence. This was despite bloodstains and one of the woman's cellphones were found in the taxi they allegedly boarded. TimesLIVE understands fingerprints were not lifted from the vehicle. 

It was only in 2020 that the investigation was reopened after a drive by Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign, which drew 341,000 signatures to a petition. The organisation continued the fight with the latest battle, leading to Friday's picket.

They were joined by Phungula's cousin, Mduduzi Ngubane, who shared the family's struggle for answers all these years later.

“It was important for me to be here because I loved Bongeka as a sister and I'm sad that it's been six years and there's been no justice for her. It was also important for me to be here so that wherever she is, she knows I'm by her side,” he said.

Ngubane is Phungula's only relative in Johannesburg, with most of her family in Durban. He shared the struggles faced by Phungula's daughter's to cope with the loss of her mother. She was 10 when her mother was killed and has apparently been struggling at school since. 

“Her daughter is still not over what happened to her mother — and that no-one has been held for her murder, it's been difficult, especially for her,” he said.

Ngubane spoke of his close relationship with his cousin, whose January birthdays are days apart. He described his cousin as a bubbly, friendly person who had big dreams for herself and her daughter.

The NPA's Mthunzi Mhaga addressed the picketers outside its offices and confirmed it had received a report on the matter from its Gauteng South division but needed time to analyse it.

“We received the report but I have not seen it ... but we'll go through your concerns articulated in the letter and then look at the report and then see, as the national office, what is it that we can do to assist you.

“I don't know how much time you can give us. We can give you that response by next week because the report is with us,” he said.

Amnesty agreed to this request and gave the NPA until next Thursday to respond.

Mhaga insisted the entity would provide feedback to Amnesty, who he described as a “very important stakeholder” for the NPA, and said it would not be necessary to return to its offices.

Grilled on the lack of accountability by the NPA and police over the lengthy delays in prosecuting the matter, Mhaga said: “It's unfortunate that we only came to learn of this matter when they wrote to us. Had we known earlier that there were delays, we would've intervened.

“It's only coming to us now because they've sent representation to us. Immediately when we received it, we sought a report from the office that is seized with the matter.”

Amnesty International SA's global youth collective representative, Alwande Khumalo, said that while the continued delays were frustrating, Mhaga's response to the picket was appreciated.

She said she was hopeful the NPA would return with a response next week, saying it was better to focus on the cards they have been dealt than the disappointment.

Ngubane said it was hard to be hopeful for a positive response from the authority.

“It's been six years, so it's hard to be hopeful about anything concerning the police and NPA. We're just praying that they will take the case seriously.”

TimesLIVE

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