NPA says won’t pursue Cwecwe case
The NPA says it won't be prosecuting anyone in the case of the alleged rape of a child at her school in Matatiele in the Eastern Cape.
The seven-year-old girl’s case sparked national outrage, and protest marches in several cities last month.
In a statement on Saturday, NPA spokesperson, Mthunzi Mhaga, says prosecutors found insufficient evidence that would lead to a successful conviction.
“The National Prosecuting Authority confirms that in November 2024, a case docket was presented to prosecutors in Matatiele Magistrates' Court as well as to the case manager at the Matatiele Thuthuzela Care Centre in the Eastern Cape. The docket contained information with suspicions of sexual assault on a minor girl.
“No conclusive evidence of rape/sexual assault could be found after an interview and examination conducted on the minor girl.
“The Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, later called for the docket, and the prosecutors in the DPP office relooked at the matter and confirmed the decision made by prosecutors in Matatiele,” said Mhaga.
“This decision was communicated to the police officers who had submitted the docket, and it was returned to them. The DPP’s office did not release a public statement with regards to their decision at the time. In addition, doing so could have potential to compromise any ongoing police investigations.
“However, in view of the public outcry and interest generated since the matter resurfaced in April 2025, the NPA has decided to communicate the decision of the prosecutors in the Eastern Cape Division. We can also indicate that the police have since resubmitted the docket to the DPP’s office for further consideration,” said Mhaga.
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