Justice system fails Craig Douglas's family as key evidence collapses
Craig Douglas, 35, was murdered in 2019; charges against his alleged killers were withdrawn, leaving his family devastated.
Image: supplied
Just hours after the family of 35-year-old Craig Douglas of Edgemead pleaded with the justice system to not allow vital evidence to collapse in the six year old case, the charges were withdrawn against the three men accused of beating and stabbing him to death for his vehicle.
Shockwaves went through the Wynberg Regional Court on Tuesday when Douglas’s horrified family heard that Zandre van Niekerk, Edmonde Hoogbaard, and Reagan Smith, who were expected to face trial, were now free men, as the charges against them were withdrawn due to witnesses not being present.
Previously, the case was struck off the roll in 2021 and reinstated in 2024, following a complaint lodged by the family with the Western Cape Ombudsman, who found that Nyanga Police Station had been part of wrongdoing.
Douglas left home on November 30, 2019, for a friend's house in Heideveld. Disoriented on his return, he stopped in Athlone. His killers smashed the locked car windows, beat and stabbed him, placed his body in the passenger seat, and dumped it at Monwabisi beach.
The trial was expected to begin in November 2025, but Douglas’s family was left devastated after no witnesses were present and were told that the video footage was not viable and that the case could be dismissed.
Earlier this week, in a response to Cape Argus about the case, Eric Ntabazalila, Regional Communications Manager for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), confirmed that the state was trying to locate the witnesses. He said the video footage which was from a set of robots, showed a vehicle with a number plate but did not show the occupants of the vehicle.
Ntabazalila also detailed that the weapon found on the scene, could not assist in taking the case further.
The Douglas family said they learnt that one of the witnesses was imprisoned and that two others had become drug addicts.
Following the court’s decision to withdraw the charges, the family told Cape Argus they were devastated.
“To be told there is ‘insufficient evidence’ after years of assurances, court appearances, and preparation for trial is a slap in the face to our loved one and to our family. This decision does not change the fact that Craig was taken from us in a senseless and violent act,” said the family.
“What makes this even more painful is how we learned about it. We were not properly informed. We were not prepared. We were left to find out at the last minute. That alone speaks volumes about how little regard has been shown for the family of the victim.
“Throughout the court proceedings, the accused showed no remorse. Now they walk free, while our family is left with lifelong grief, trauma, and fear.
“The system has failed our family, and it has failed Craig.
“We trusted that the justice system would do its job. Instead, we are left feeling betrayed, unheard, and discarded."
The family added that they would explore every possible avenue for accountability: “Our fight for truth and justice for Craig is not over.”
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