Private prosecutions of Modise, Moyane and Bizos postponed 

13 May 2020

The private prosecutions of Thandi Modise (Speaker of Parliament), Tom Moyane (former Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service) and Alexis Bizos have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown. AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit is attending to these prosecutions.   

Modise had to appear in the Potchefstroom Regional Court on 8 May 2020 to determine a hearing date and to explain why she failed to appear on charges of animal cruelty against her on 24 March 2020. This date was on 8 May postponed by Magistrate Ben Mtebele until 1 July 2020. Adv Gerrie Nel, Head of AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, is privately prosecuting Modise on behalf of the SPCA.

The appearance of Alexis Bizos, son of Adv George Bizos, to determine a hearing date for the alleged assault – with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm – of his ex-wife Monique van Oosterhout was on 4 May 2020 in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court postponed until 18 August 2020. Adv Nel is prosecuting Bizos on behalf of Van Oosterhout.   

Moyane’s hearing date was on 6 May in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court postponed until 8 September 2020. Adv Nel is prosecuting Moyane on behalf of Lerato Maila, the mother of Moyane’s grandchild, on a charge of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, as well as damage to property.     

Issued by Carina Bester, Media Relations Officer, AfriForum, 13 May 2020