Southern Write - Contrarian commentary on issues African and global.

“It’s highly unlikely that Tongo and the hijackers are the only ones in on it- watch this space, neither Scorsese nor Tarantino could have better scripted this mouth-watering saga!”
 
The all too recent murder of Anni Dewani in Gugulethu sent shockwaves around South Africa and the UK.
 
The approach followed by respective media nationalities could not have been more contrasting. Understandably, UK tabloids regurgitated the same old hackneyed rhetoric- SA portrayed as the villain- a crime infested tourist destination, ie the World Cup was merely a farce of artificially high levels of police protection and statistical manipulation. Local newspapers, the Cape Argus and Cape Times followed a very different tack entirely. The presiding circumstances were far too fishy to be remotely believable. To their credit, the publications quite correctly aroused immediate suspicion- what possible motive could the hijackers have had to murder only one of the vehicle occupants? Clearly her demise was not steeped in efforts to conceal their identity because her husband Shrien and vehicle driver Zola Tongo were ejected from the vehicle unscathed. Secondly, their presence after dark in a notoriously dangerous part of Ghugulethu is rather questionable.  From a forensic perspective, Anni Dewani’s lifeless corpse was neither physically nor sexually assaulted before her shooting. If not for intent to rape there is little plausible explanation for her particular selection as a murder victim.
 
Zola Tongo’s recent plea bargain with the state under s.204 of the Criminal Procedure Act has allowed the NPA of SA to apply for Shrien Dewani’s extradition from the UK. Section 204 allows an accused to “turn state witness,” (basically assist the state’s case) in exchange for a lenient sentence. If the court is of the belief that the state witness answers questions truthfully and to the best of their ability, a plea bargain between the state witness and the prosecution may be approved. S.204 is in many cases the only means by which the State can implicate a suspect, a lifeline thrown to prosecutors in the face of constitutional speedbumps that impede the successful conviction of the guilty. Tongo’s testimony strongly suggests that imminent application for Dewani’s extradition should be successful. Fabrication on Togo’s part is a clear possibility, a sure way to a lenient sentence by falsely drawing Dewani into his story- but this would require motive from Tongo. Besides splitting the spoils of possessions stolen from the couple with the murderers, what sort of motive exists?  Afterall, Togo is the registered owner of the Volkswagen Sharan that was “hijacked.”
 
Assuming that Dewani is guilty, his biggest mistake appears to be that he underestimated the South African media and police force. South Africa would appear the perfect setting. A high violent crime rate and notorious police inefficiency would normally suggest that Dewani could get away with this, how wrong he was. The SAPS has thus far effectively managed this investigation.
 
If we learn one thing from this case, let it be that the SAPS is quite capable of operating at the same level of efficiency as that shown by  1st world counterparts. As taxpaying citizens we must unite and demand it of them in each and every scenario, a sad truism that British media hype catalysed local police action.
 
The key issue remains  Dewani’s motive. A loving husband takes his wife to dinner and has her murdered shortly thereafter, men have killed under more unlikely circumstances……

• Posted on Wednesday, December 8th, 2010
• 2 comments