Civil rights group slam delays in baby snatcher's bail application

Civil rights organization Action Society has expressed concern and disappointment in the delays in the case of alleged baby snatcher Sameemah Jacobs’ whose legal team said they needed more time to peruse her affidavit, requesting amendments to her bail conditions.

This was the third week dedicated to Jacobs’ bid to change her bail conditions which were set in July when she was granted R4000.

The application to have her bail conditions amended includes a request to visit her son who lives in Mitchells Plain, and to collect her belongings at a premises that she had rented at the time of her arrest .

She is also asking the court to have her signing in at Kleinvlei Police Station changed to Delft Police Station.

Bail conditions prohibit Jacobs from visiting Mitchells Plain including Strandfontein.

The application was expected to take place on Tuesday at the Bellville Magistrates’ Court but was hit with another delay when her newly assigned legal aid lawyer said she needed more time to peruse the document.

This was not met well by Magistrate Gcobani Ndaleni who asked why the defence had made the application seem an impossible task.

Jacobs changed her tune when she first stated that she wished to have her bail conditions relaxed in order to attend a religious excursion in November and then the latest request.

“We gave them (defence) a full week to prepare,” said Magistrate Ndaleni.

“It is not a complex matter, how long do you need?

“Just bring the application and a ruling can be made.

"We have other cases where there are bail applications needing to be heard as this accused is already out on bail.

“We had adjourned for quite long  this morning and you should have been able to address the court.”

State prosecutor,  Salaahudeen Simon added that it was also their request to peruse the document and stated that the address in Delft had been confirmed.

Jacobs heard her application would take place on November 6.

Kaylynn Palm, of civil rights organisation, Action Society who has been attending the court case said they were unhappy with the continuous delays.

“It is very disappointing, we heard the Magistrate stating that this is not a complex matter, it is not rocket science to go through documentation, they could have taken an hour or less to go through it," she added.

“In terms of changing their legal representatives, we are seeing a trend, in murder to rape cases where the accused changes their legal representatives to prolong the case so that we do not see a a swift ending to the case."

Baby Imaad Sharmar’s mother, Imaan  who was in the public gallery, also expressed her concerns stating the case was being hampered in order to listen to Jacobs’ requests.

The State is set to prove that Jacobs kidnapped Imaad  from his mother, Imaan at Middestad Mall in Bellville in June under the pretence that she was a volunteer for the NPO.

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