No decision yet from NPA on possible appeal of SCA sunflower ruling
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in North West says it still studying the ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal in the so-called sunflower case.
The Bloemfontein court on Friday acquitted Pieter Doorewaard and Philip Schutte of all charges against them.
They were earlier sentenced to lengthy jail terms in 2019 for the murder of Matlhomola Mosweu, whom they accused of stealing sunflowers, in Coligny.
Their acquittal has sparked outrage in some quarters, but spokesperson for the NPA in the province Henry Mamothame says no amount of public pressure will force them into an appeal.
“Whether people out there, whether politicians or ordinary people like you and myself, say we were not going to appeal, that is not how it works. When a judgment is passed and even not from Supreme Court of Appeal, from any court for that matter, if a judgment is passed and the state loses the case, we give ourselves time to see where it went wrong so that you see if there is reason for you to appeal. It is just a process and that’s how it goes.
“So, we are not doing it because someone, somewhere, said something. No, that is not what we normally do and that’s not the process of working in the NPA.”
