DJ Fresh (Thato Sikwane) and Euphonik (Themba Mbongeni Nkosi) are two of the biggest names in music and broadcasting in South Africa. Their names were once tied to vibrant events, toe-tapping beats and car rides with the radio on blast tuned into their respective shows, but 2021 changed this positive association. Now, in 2022, the same case has been reopened. This is the breakdown of how the case went from an unearthing to a re-opening:
2021 – the case is brought to light
Last year in January the pair found themselves in news headlines linked to a rape allegation. A Pretoria woman (whose identity is being protected, but is reportedly known as ‘Nampree’ on Twitter) took to bring the story to the public via Twitter. She accused the DJs of drugging and raping her back in 2011 at a small party.
After challenging the two to take accountability via her social media platform, the woman opened a case at the Sunnyside Police Station as per The South African.
DJs dropped from 947 and the case is dropped by the NPA
Following the heat of the accusations, it came as little surprise that the two would have to split with 947 radio station, owned by Primedia Broadcasting.
In the same month that the case was dismissed (February), the duo had still lost their respective spots working for 947. The company had confirmed that they had “decided to release DJ Fresh and Euphonik from their contracts,’ in a statement.
Their last shows aired on January 15 and 10 respectively.
The CEO of Primedia added that the decision ‘[didn’t] reflect a view on the veracity of any allegations against either Euphonik or Fresh’ but rather that it ‘prioritises Primed Broadcasting’s business imperatives.’
Both the DJs teamed up in a statement expressing that they believed it was in their best interest to resume all of their public engagements, and that they look forward to their names being cleared. The breakup was due to not being able to find common ground with Primedia at that time according to them
That same month, Nampree’s case was dismissed by the National Prosecuting Authority due to ‘insufficient evidence’.
Case of defamation
In April 2021, the DJs opened a case of defamation against the accuser. However, the crimen injuria demand was dropped in September. As NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana expressed at the time as per News24, the NPA believed there ‘would be no possibility of a successful prosecution’.
The case reopens a year later
A year later the case has been reopened again. Reports express that the case was actually reopened in January already, according to The Citizen.
However, there does not seem to be a concrete reason as to why the reopening occurred.
The victim’s legal representative, Brenda Madumise-Pajibo expressed that they too were waiting for explanations concerning the NPA’s decision to revisit the case.
Madiumise-Pajibo who also represents a gender-based violence activism organisation, Women Inspired Solutions for Empowerment, challenged the initial dismissal and took to lodge a complaint against the police.
The matter was questioned via a letter from Wise according to City Press.
What was indicated to be an interesting circumstance, is that the victim was not informed of the cases’ initial dismissal, but the DJs were according to the letter’s indications.
Madiumise-Pajibo never received a formal reply for the initial letter. Now a second letter has been sent acknowledging the case’s reopening. The police had informed her client of the reopening allegedly.
The NPA spokesperson didn’t even know the case was being reopened
NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said she had no knowledge of the case being reopened according to The Citizen.
Sikwane (DJ Fresh) expressed that:
“I’m not aware of it. Good luck to them, anyway, because this thing never happened, so there’s nothing [to prosecute],” the publication noted him saying.
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Picture: @vanslifehiphop