Criminal Justice System Criticised by Herman Mashaba After R1,000 Bail in Rape Case, SA Voices Anger
- ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba didn't hold back in sharing his thoughts about the country's criminal justice system
- Mashaba was reflecting on a case where a foreign national was granted bail, despite being accused of the rape of a 12-year-old
- South Africans shared their thoughts about Mashaba's comments, with many agreeing with the ActionSA leader
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – Herman Mashaba has criticised the country’s criminal justice system, and many South Africans shared his sentiments.
Mashaba, the leader of ActionSA, expressed frustration with the system after a man accused of rape was released on R1,000 bail. The man, a Pakistani national, was accused of raping a 12-year-old girl.
His release has sparked outrage online, with Mashaba also voicing concern at the court’s decision.
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What did Mashaba say?
Taking to X, the ActionSA leader vented about the decision to grant the accused bail.
“This deliberate failure of our criminal justice system cannot be left unchallenged. We are tired,” he said.
He added that the entire criminal justice system needed to do some self-reflection.
Pakistani national arrested for rape
The case Mashaba was commenting on related to the rape of a 12-year-old, allegedly by Pakistani national Siddique Ammad (29).
Ammad was granted bail of R1000 by the Atteridgeville Court on 6 January 2025. His case has been postponed to 2 March 2026. While the decision to release him on bail has angered many online, the family of the victim are reportedly okay with it.
Source: Getty Images
According to the Laudium Sun, who spoke to Shenaaz Wasiem, a member of a local Women’s Group, the family support a relationship between the accused and victim.
“When I spoke to the family, they told me that they supported the charges being dropped against the accused, as the accused had promised to marry the child & support her,” Wasiem was reported as saying.
South Africans shared Mashaba’s sentiments
Social media users weighed in on Mashaba’s condemnation of the criminal justice system, with many also voicing their frustrations.
@skutuphendu said:
“R1,000 for bail in a rape case of a minor. The NPA is embarrassing us.”
@Ms_Tcmathonsi stated:
“Our government is failing us.”
@TshepoThathane added:
“Injustice right in front of our eyes.”
@MfanaNkosi3 noted:
“Mkwanazi was correct in saying that our courts are in the pockets of criminals. Really, this guy can just skip the country and go back to where he came from.”
@CosmicCrackler said:
“I totally agree. I was absolutely shocked when I saw that this man was released on bail. Our judiciary has failed the victims of crime in this country—this man should never have been granted bail.”
@MyAfricanRootz stated:
“Our justice system is letting us down. How do you give a foreigner bail after committing such a heinous crime? Worse, the victim is a small child. Something must be done to correct bail conditions under our criminal system."
Other stories about Mashaba and foreign nationals
Briefly News reported that Mashaba has often shared his thoughts about foreign nationals in the country, which haven't always been well received.
- In 2022, Mashaba slammed claims that his political party was xenophobic, labelling the allegations as 'nonsense.'
- Mashaba called for foreign-owned spaza shops to be closed in November 2024, sparking a debate online.
- In October 2025, Mashaba urged Johannesburg voters to back ActionSA in its fight against illegal immigrants.
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Source: Briefly News
