Ukuphazamiseka engqondweni kuphazamisa indlela ejwayelekile yokuthethwa kwecala
Isinqumo sangoMsombuluko zingama-28 kuMandulo wezi-2020 seNkantolo iBucks County Court eDoylestown, ePennsylania, phesheya kwezilwandle egwebe umama nendodakazi abaphazamisekile ngokwengqondo ukubolela ejele, kungenzeka sivuse imibuzo ngokugwetshwa kwabantu abasesimweni esifana nesabo.
UShana Decree (47) nendodakazi yakhe uDominique (21) balahlwe yicala lokubulala ngesihluku izihlobo zabo eziseduze ezinhlanu okuhlanganisa nezingane ezintathu nyakenye.
UMengameli Wabehluleli uWallace Bateman utshele laba ukuthi benze ubuhlungu obungachazeki.
“Lokhu kubi kakhulu ngoba ngikholwa ukuthi nobabili nikhombisile ukuzisola, ngeshwa lokho ngeke kubabuyise, ngeke nixolise bese nilindela ukuthi abantu baqhubeke nempilo yabo,” kusho uMehluleli uWallace ekhipha isigwebo.
Laba abagwetshiwe abebekhala baxolisile enkantolo nasezihlotsheni zabo ebezisenkantolo.
UDominique uthe akazi kungani benza leli cala.
Osebenza ngezingane nentsha owaya endaweni yesigameko uthi wathola izidumbu zezingane zikaShana, esikadadewabo nezingane zakhe (udadewabo) ezimbili ezingamawele ziklinyiwe abanye bebulawe ngokuncishwa umoya.
Amaphoyisa athe abagwetshiwe batholwa endlini bengekho esimweni esikahle, ifenisha ibhekiswe phansi kanti kuthiwa ababekukhuluma kwakushayisana kodwa bethi bonke ababesendlini “babefuna ukufa”.
ISekela loMmeli Wesifunda Omkhulu, uChristopher Rees, lithe lokhu kubulala kwathatha izinsuku ezintathu. Inkantolo yaqoka abeluleka ngokwengqondo nodokotela bengqondo abathole ukuthi laba abagwetshiwe bebe nokuphazamiseka okukhulu ngokwengqondo okuhlanganisa ukungathandi ukuzihlanganisa nabantu, ingcindezi eba emva kwesigameko esibi.
Kuvele ukuthi bebelashwa kanti uDominique yena uqale eneminyaka yobudala emihlanu.
UMmeli kaShana, uChrista Dunleay, uthe ikilayenti lakhe lalingalodwana futhi likhohlisekile ngesikhathi sesigameko likholwa ukuthi “umhlaba uyaphela futhi kunamadimoni endlini yakhe futhi kumele awathobele”.
Uthe umndeni kaShana wazama ukumsiza kodwa lokhu kukhohliseka kwakunamandla.
UMmeli Wesifunda, uMatt Weintraub, uthe ukuba laba bebengenakho ukuphazamiseka ngokwengqondo bebezogixabezwa ngesigwebo sentambo.
Umthetho eNingizimu Afrika
ISigaba 12(1) soMthethosisekelo waseNingizimu Afrika sivikela ilungelo lenkululeko nokuvikeleka komuntu okuhlanganisa ukungephuwa ilungelo lokungathethwa kwecala lakhe nelokungafakwa esitokisini ngaphandle kokuqulwa kwecala.
Amalungelo ababoshiwe, abatokile nabasolwa avikelwe futhi iSigaba 35 soMthethosisekelo esithi umsolwa unelungelo lokuqulwa kwecala lakhe ngokungenzeleli.
Lokhu akudingi kuphela ukuthi umuntu abe senkantolo siqu sakhe kodwa nangokwengqondo. Obhekene necala kufanele abe sesimweni sokuqonda okwenzeka enkantolo ukuze ezokwazi ukuzivikela kahle.
Umuntu ongeke akwazi ukwenza lokhu uthathwa njengongakulungele ukuqulwa kwecala.
ISigaba 77 seCriminal Procedure Act 51 we-1977 (CPA) sibhekene nokuphathwa kwabasolwa abangakulungele ukuqulwa kwecala ngenxa yokuphazamiseka ngokwengqondo noma ukungakwazi ukucabanga ngendlela efanele.
Nakuba abasolwa abanalesi simo engeke athethwa amacala abo kodwa abakhishwa phambili futhi abadedelwa njengoba iSigaba 77(6) siyalela inkantolo ukuba kube yiyo eshoyo ukuthi ngabe icala umsolwa abekwe lona ulenze kungenxa yesimo sengqondo yakhe.
Uma inkantolo ithola ukuthi umsolwa ubulele, ubulale ngokungenhloso, udlwengulile noma wenze amacala odlame okanye inkantolo ibona ukuthi icala lithinta umphakathi, iSigaba 77(6) (a)(i) seCPA siphinde siyalele inkantolo ukuba ikhiphe umyalelo wokuthi umsolwa agcinwe esibhedlela sabaphazamiseke ngokwengqondo noma ejele kusalindwe ukuba akhululwe umehluleli ngokweSigaba 47 seMental Health Care At 17 wezi-2002 (MCHA).
Uma inkantolo ithola ukuthi umsolwa wenze amanye amacala noma akenzanga lutho nhlobo, iSigaba 77(6)(a)(ii) seCPA siphinde siyitshele ukuthi iyalele umsolwa ukuba aziyise yena esikhungweni ngokweSigaba 37 seMCHA.
Lezi zigaba ziwujuqu ngokuthi uma inkantolo isithole ukuthi umsolwa akakulungele ukuqulwa kwecala, ayinakho engakwenza ngaphandle kokukhipha umyalelo wokuba agcinwe ngandlela thile.
Okuhlinzekwa iSigaba 77(6)(a) kwehlukile kulokho kweSigaba 78(6) seCPA esisetshenziswa uma icala likamsolwa liquliwe lamthetha ngenxa yesimo sengqondo yakhe. NgokweSigaba 78(6)(b), inkantolo njengenye yezindlela zokugcina umsolwa, inegunya lokumkhipha okungaba ngaphansi kwemigomo ethile noma ngaphandle kwayo.
Lokhu akukho ngaphansi kweSigaba 77(6)(a)(i) noma (ii). Ngamanye amazwi iSigaba 77(6)(a) siyalela ukugcinwa ngaphandle kokuqulwa kwecala kuye ngesisindo secala umsolwa abekwe lona.
Lokhu kusho ukuthi kukhona okungabizwa ngokuthi “ukuqulwa kwamaqiniso” kanti sekube nokukhathazeka ngokuthi ngabe lezi zigaba ziyahambisana yini noMthethosisekelo. - nguSabelo Mbatha