News / Africa
SA police incompetence exposed in Jonathan Moyo daughter's death
21 Oct 2015 at 06:32hrs | Views
The Jonathan Moyo family has expressed dismay over the handling of the criminal investigation which, apart from Stephen's account, hinges on a post mortem and toxicology tests whose results police have now told the family could take up to six weeks.
Top Harare lawyer Terrence Hussein, who travelled with Prof Jonathan Moyo to Cape Town on Sunday, yesterday said they were troubled by the lack of forensic inquiry to establish the time of death as expected in criminal investigations. Hussein told The Chronicle from Cape Town: "The date of death was indicated as the 17th [of October] whereas all the facts point to that the date of death is at least two days prior.
"The coroner has told us that they didn't ascertain the date of death because they were not asked to do so by the police.
"All the coroner has done is to put the date of death from what they deduced, rather than what they ascertained. It would've been better to ascertain scientifically. It gives you an accurate picture of what took place and also when connecting individuals to a scene.
"Now, if you want to question people they can simply escape by saying they weren't there when Zanele died. "You literally immunise all suspects, you give a defence. It's inconsistent with the strict requirements of a criminal investigation, which this one is."
Dramatising his point, Hussein said "the absurdity of what they've done is the equivalent of discovering someone who died in the Soweto Uprisings in 1976 and putting today as the date of their death simply because the body was found today." No comment could be obtained from Western Cape Police yesterday.
Top Harare lawyer Terrence Hussein, who travelled with Prof Jonathan Moyo to Cape Town on Sunday, yesterday said they were troubled by the lack of forensic inquiry to establish the time of death as expected in criminal investigations. Hussein told The Chronicle from Cape Town: "The date of death was indicated as the 17th [of October] whereas all the facts point to that the date of death is at least two days prior.
"The coroner has told us that they didn't ascertain the date of death because they were not asked to do so by the police.
"Now, if you want to question people they can simply escape by saying they weren't there when Zanele died. "You literally immunise all suspects, you give a defence. It's inconsistent with the strict requirements of a criminal investigation, which this one is."
Dramatising his point, Hussein said "the absurdity of what they've done is the equivalent of discovering someone who died in the Soweto Uprisings in 1976 and putting today as the date of their death simply because the body was found today." No comment could be obtained from Western Cape Police yesterday.
Source - chronicle
