The Pretoria High Court will on Tuesday hear an urgent reconsideration application that could decide whether Acting Judge and Advocate Roelof du Plessis SC is prosecuted for the alleged stabbing of Pretoria motorist Conrad Pretorius during a violent road rage incident more than two years ago, with AfriForum backing the move.
The case dates back to August 1, 2023, when Pretorius and his wife encountered Du Plessis at a faulty traffic light in Menlo Park.
Altercation escalates into car chase
An altercation reportedly escalated into a five-kilometre chase through the suburb before Du Plessis allegedly blocked Pretorius’ vehicle in a cul-de-sac. Pretorius claims Du Plessis attacked him with a pocketknife, stabbing him in the neck and leg, before he managed to flee and drive to a nearby hospital where he was treated for life-threatening injuries and remained hospitalised for nearly a week.
From his hospital bed, Pretorius laid a charge of attempted murder. But Du Plessis also opened a case, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) initially chose to prosecute Pretorius for assault and malicious damage to property.
AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, led by Advocate Gerrie Nel, took up Pretorius’ case, arguing that the NPA had wrongly cast the injured motorist as the aggressor.
In August 2025, National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi overturned the earlier decision, resolving that Du Plessis should face an attempted murder charge and that charges against Pretorius be withdrawn.
AfriForum hailed the reversal as a victory for accountability. Nel said the outcome restored confidence in the criminal justice system.
“The national director’s decision goes a long way towards restoring faith in the criminal justice system. The decision to prosecute Pretorius rather than Du Plessis was clearly irrational, as it was made without proper consideration of all available evidence,” said Nel.
“One of AfriForum’s private prosecution unit’s goals is to support such victims of injustice and make their voices heard. This decision shows that no one is above the law.”
Securing interdict
But Du Plessis struck back. Earlier this month, he obtained an interdict in the Pretoria High Court, granted ex parte and in camera, which prohibits the NPA from prosecuting him until a review of Batohi’s decision is finalised.
The NPA is now challenging that order. On Tuesday, prosecutors will argue that the interdict unlawfully interferes with their constitutional mandate to prosecute and was granted without giving them a chance to be heard.
Although the immediate dispute is between Du Plessis and the NPA, AfriForum has confirmed it will attend the hearing to keep pressure on the matter.
The judgement on the matter could determine whether Du Plessis finally faces a criminal trial or whether the case remains bogged down in review litigation.
