27 July 2026
Three SAPS officers appeared at the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Monday facing charges of torture in an incident that dates back to November 2023. Photo: Mary-Anne Gontsana
On Monday, three police officers accused of beating and torturing Juma Igiraneza, a barber at his workplace in November 2023, made a brief appearance in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court. But the case was yet again postponed because an interpreter was not present.
CCTV footage captured several police officers repeatedly assaulting Igiraneza, allegedly to get him to provide information on the whereabouts of his boss at the time.
Even though more officers can be seen in the video, only three have been charged: Colonel Delmore Manuel and constables Jermaine Conradie and Leigh-Ann Maroon.
More than two years later, the case has had numerous postponements and has been shifting between the magistrate’s court and the regional court.
In April, the case was provisionally withdrawn but reinstated a month later. Earlier this month, it was postponed due to the absence of a Kirundi interpreter.
On Monday, the accused’s lawyers could not remain at court until 2pm, when a Kirundi interpreter would be available to be appointed by the court for the case to proceed.
The magistrate then postponed the matter until 11 August, when it will be transferred to the regional court.
Igiraneza was not in court on Monday. He moved to the Eastern Cape after the incident.
Speaking to GroundUp over the phone, his brother, Sabushimike Gervais Hamza, said Igiraneza’s lawyer had updated him about the proceedings, and he would find a way to relay the information to Igiraneza, who is currently without a phone.
“I will make sure that he gets the message and he will be in court on 11 August,” he said.
Video produced by GroundUp News
