In Swaziland, the slow pace of the judicial process is a
reality that citizens have long since grown accustomed
to. The system is riddled with delays and there is always
a lengthy backlog of un-heard cases on the High Court
roll. However, delays usually occur once the accused is
charged – not before the trial has even begun. But not in
the controversial case of serial killer David Simelane, who
was eventually found guilty of at least 28 murders. His
extraordinary case was delayed at every stage – pre-trial,
during the trial and even in the lengthy appeal process.
While the actual trial is said to have involved 157 days in
court, there were so many delays, postponements and
adjournments that the entire matter from his arrest to his
conviction took a decade.1
Never had a case in Swaziland
dragged on for so long and amounted to ten years of
torment for the traumatised families of his victims, who
had to wait an incredibly long time for justice to be served.