From sexual fetishes like bondage and spanking - to unexpected charge dismissals and knives in cake boxes, the country's courts saw their fair share of cringe-worthy moments in 2014.
While the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) may still be smarting over the freeing of honeymoon murder accused Shrien Dewani after the costly extradition process, others may still be disappointed that the "German Master", male prostitute Leopold Leisser, was not allowed to spill Dewani's salacious secrets in court.
British businessman Dewani, 34, was accused of orchestrating his new wife Anni's murder in Cape Town in 2010.
From his early admittal that he is bisexual, Dewani's sexual preferences often took centre stage in the trial, with the court hearing about his fetish for bondage, boot-licking and spanking.
However, it was the conflicting testimony of the state's witnesses that sunk the case and the Cape Town High Court dismissed charges against Dewani because the prosecutors had not proven he had a case to answer.
Another high-profile case that dominated dinner table conversation was the murder trial of fallen hero Oscar Pistorius.
The country's first televised trial proved to be the best soapie in the land as many took leave from work due to "Oscar fever”.
The scrutiny of the world's media and the pressure of live television proved too much for a court interpreter, who refused to return after the first day. The interpreter, who shall remain anonymous to prevent embarrassment, and subsequent interpreters fumbled over their words and left witnesses lost in translation. Some witnesses settled for doing their own translation while others repeatedly corrected the interpreters.
Pistorius is now in prison with Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir, whose trial has also started resembling a long-running soap opera. The alleged mafia boss is accused of drug dealing and torture, and allegations include that he poured boiling water over a businessman’s head after the man conned him out of a bag containing drugs worth millions of rands.
The trial has seen a drive-by shooting involving the judge and a lawyer lambasted for giving Krejcir a red velvet birthday cake - and a knife to cut the cake.
This year also saw justice officials caught with their hands in the maintenance cookie jar and prosecutors and police backtracking on various "sure thing" arrests.
Two court officials at Johannesburg’s Alexandra Magistrate's Court are facing 265 charges of fraud after they secretly pocketed R1.4-million of the public money used to pay things like maintenance and bail refunds at the court.
In a similar case, the former acting court manager at Soweto’s Protea Magistrate's Court was sentenced to five years in prison after she milked the same court funds of R60 000.
Two justice department senior managers were convicted of multiple counts of fraud, money laundering and racketeering in October. The pair were found guilty of siphoning off R3.2-million from the department's coffers in just six months.
The NPA and police were left with egg on their faces in November when charges were dropped against a man accused of killing Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain Senzo Meyiwa. The soccer star was killed in an apparent robbery while visiting his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo at her mother’s home. Zamokuhle Mbatha, 27, was arrested a few days later but at his second court appearance, the NPA conceded that there was not enough evidence linking Mbatha to the crime.
Two days later, at the same court, charges were dropped against a man linked to the murder of four-year-old Taegrin Morris. Taegrin died in July after his mother's car was hijacked in Boksburg and she could not release the seatbelt holding Taegrin. He was dragged beside the car. Thamsanqa Brutus Twala, 39, appeared in court with an angry mob baying for his blood. But both the NPA and the police laid the blame solely at the other's door, leaving community members confused and disillusioned about the criminal justice system.
Looking at the year past, Lady Justice may have to get a good spin doctor for 2015.
From bondage to spanking: courts' cringe-worthy moments for 2014
From sexual fetishes like bondage and spanking - to unexpected charge dismissals and knives in cake boxes, the country's courts saw their fair share of cringe-worthy moments in 2014.
While the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) may still be smarting over the freeing of honeymoon murder accused Shrien Dewani after the costly extradition process, others may still be disappointed that the "German Master", male prostitute Leopold Leisser, was not allowed to spill Dewani's salacious secrets in court.
British businessman Dewani, 34, was accused of orchestrating his new wife Anni's murder in Cape Town in 2010.
From his early admittal that he is bisexual, Dewani's sexual preferences often took centre stage in the trial, with the court hearing about his fetish for bondage, boot-licking and spanking.
However, it was the conflicting testimony of the state's witnesses that sunk the case and the Cape Town High Court dismissed charges against Dewani because the prosecutors had not proven he had a case to answer.
Another high-profile case that dominated dinner table conversation was the murder trial of fallen hero Oscar Pistorius.
The country's first televised trial proved to be the best soapie in the land as many took leave from work due to "Oscar fever”.
The scrutiny of the world's media and the pressure of live television proved too much for a court interpreter, who refused to return after the first day. The interpreter, who shall remain anonymous to prevent embarrassment, and subsequent interpreters fumbled over their words and left witnesses lost in translation. Some witnesses settled for doing their own translation while others repeatedly corrected the interpreters.
Pistorius is now in prison with Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir, whose trial has also started resembling a long-running soap opera. The alleged mafia boss is accused of drug dealing and torture, and allegations include that he poured boiling water over a businessman’s head after the man conned him out of a bag containing drugs worth millions of rands.
The trial has seen a drive-by shooting involving the judge and a lawyer lambasted for giving Krejcir a red velvet birthday cake - and a knife to cut the cake.
This year also saw justice officials caught with their hands in the maintenance cookie jar and prosecutors and police backtracking on various "sure thing" arrests.
Two court officials at Johannesburg’s Alexandra Magistrate's Court are facing 265 charges of fraud after they secretly pocketed R1.4-million of the public money used to pay things like maintenance and bail refunds at the court.
In a similar case, the former acting court manager at Soweto’s Protea Magistrate's Court was sentenced to five years in prison after she milked the same court funds of R60 000.
Two justice department senior managers were convicted of multiple counts of fraud, money laundering and racketeering in October. The pair were found guilty of siphoning off R3.2-million from the department's coffers in just six months.
The NPA and police were left with egg on their faces in November when charges were dropped against a man accused of killing Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain Senzo Meyiwa. The soccer star was killed in an apparent robbery while visiting his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo at her mother’s home. Zamokuhle Mbatha, 27, was arrested a few days later but at his second court appearance, the NPA conceded that there was not enough evidence linking Mbatha to the crime.
Two days later, at the same court, charges were dropped against a man linked to the murder of four-year-old Taegrin Morris. Taegrin died in July after his mother's car was hijacked in Boksburg and she could not release the seatbelt holding Taegrin. He was dragged beside the car. Thamsanqa Brutus Twala, 39, appeared in court with an angry mob baying for his blood. But both the NPA and the police laid the blame solely at the other's door, leaving community members confused and disillusioned about the criminal justice system.
Looking at the year past, Lady Justice may have to get a good spin doctor for 2015.
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