AfriForum Could Privately Prosecute Politicians Who Falsely Accused Principal in Cwecwe Rape Case

• Criminal injuria cases have been opened against three politicians who falsely accused the former Bergview College principal
• The former principal, Jaco Pieterse, was falsely implicated in the rape of a seven-year-old Cwecwe in the Eastern Cape
• AfriForum said it would consider privately prosecuting the politicians if the National Prosecuting Authority didn't act

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – AfriForum is considering pursuing private prosecutions against three politicians who publicly accused the former Bergview College principal of the rape of Cwecwe.

Jaco Pieterse was falsely implicated in the rape of seven-year-old Cwecwe, the Eastern Cape primary school girl allegedly raped at the school in Matatiele in 2024.

The news garnered local and international attention, with many calling for action against the perpetrators. While no one was arrested for the crime, Pieterse was publicly named as a suspect, leading to many staging protests and even threatening him.

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Pieterse and Bergview College mutually agreed to part ways following the allegations, but the former principal is now taking legal action against those who publicly accused him of rape.

Who are the three politicians?

According to spokesperson Barry Bateman, AfriForum would be representing Pieterse in his case against three politicians, who publicly linked him to the rape case.

He said that criminal injuria cases were opened against Fikile Mbalula, Julius Malema and Fundile Gade. Mbalula referred to Pieterse as an animal and a rapist, while Malema also called the former principal a rapist.

Gade, a Member of the Executive Council of Education in the Eastern Cape, claimed that there were other cases linked to Pieterse, which was false. Bateman said that investigating officers were assigned to the cases, and they would be writing to the police to urge them to act with haste in the matter.

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“If the NPA declines to prosecute, and we suspect they probably will, given that these are politicians, then we will privately prosecute,” Bateman said.

He added that they hoped to set some kind of precedent and ensure that there’s accountability for people who make false claims against others on social media.

What do you need to know about the Cwecwe case?

• Bergview College approached the Eastern Cape High Court to overturn the decision to deregister it following the allegations.
• South Africans initially blasted AfriForum for agreeing to represent Pieterse after he was named as a suspect.
• AfriForum cast doubt on Cwecwe’s mother’s claims, saying the incident didn’t happen at the school.
• Pieterse spoke out about his experience since he was pegged as a suspect in Cwecwe's rape case.
• In May 2025, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that nobody would be prosecuted in the Cwecwe case.

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AfriForum demands explanation after NPA declines to prosecute

Briefly News reported that AfriForum was demanding an explanation from the NPA after the CweCwe case was officially closed.

The NPA failed to prosecute anyone over a lack of evidence, causing an uproar on social media as people criticised the decision.

The advocacy group also criticised the way the South African Police Service (SAPS) handled the case.

Source: Briefly News