Johannesburg – Advocate Roelof du Plessis, an Acting Judge, faces attempted murder charges emanating from a road rage incident in which he allegedly stabbed motorist Conrad Pretorius in the neck with a sharp object.
The case against Advocate Du Plessis relates to a road rage incident in Menlo Park reported two years ago.
Allegations are that Pretorius and his wife were driving in Menlo Park on 1 August 2023, where they encountered Advocate Du Plessis at an intersection where the traffic lights were not working.
An altercation ensued, which allegedly resulted in Advocate Du Plessis chasing Pretorius’ car through the streets of the suburb for about five kilometres before allegedly blocking him in at a cul-de-sac.
It is further alleged that Pretorius and Du Plessis alighted from their vehicles, where a confrontation occurred.
Pretorius alleges that Du Plessis stabbed him in the neck with a sharp object, whereafter a struggle ensued, and he was also stabbed in his leg.
Pretorius managed to get back in his car and drove to the nearest hospital for treatment.
He was hospitalised with life-threatening injuries and released nearly a week later.
While in the hospital, Pretorius filed a criminal complaint for attempted murder against Advocate Du Plessis, only to discover that the lawyer had also filed a criminal complaint against him.
Since August 2023, the AfriForum Private Prosecution Unit has represented Pretorius in a challenge to the patently irrational decision to charge him with assault and malicious damage to property, and not prosecute Advocate Du Plessis.
Pretorius has appeared in court several times since then, during which time the unit made a representation to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to reconsider the decision to make him the accused person in this case
In an update on the matter on Saturday, 23 August 2025, the unit said Advocate Du Plessis will be charged with attempted murder following its successful representations to the NPA.
“In a victory for the principle of equality before the law, Du Plessis will face criminal charges, while the baseless charges against his alleged victim, Conrad Pretorius, have been dropped,” the unit said in a statement made available to The Bulrushes.
In a letter responding to the unit’s representations, Advocate Shamila Batohi, the National Director of Public Prosecution, said Advocate Du Plessis must be prosecuted on a charge of attempted murder.
“The central issue in this matter is who acted unlawfully in attacking whom, and in this regard, whether Adv. Du Plessis acted in private defence when he twice stabbed Mr. Pretorius with his (i.e., Adv. Du Plessis’) pocketknife,” Advocate Batohi said.
Commenting on the matter, head of the AfriForum Private Prosecution Unit, Advocate Gerrie Nel, said the evidence always pointed to Du Plessis as the accused in the case.
“Pretorius should never have been charged in a case where he was clearly the victim. AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit was established to guard against selective prosecution,’’ said Advocate Nel.
“In our initial letters to the NPA, we stated that it has a duty to create trust in society that those alleged transgressors with political connections will not be sheltered from prosecution, and neither will your status in the legal fraternity unduly protect you from prosecution.
“The incident occurred exactly two years ago this month.
‘’Our priority is now to ensure that the case is quickly enrolled and prosecuted so that justice is served.”
Barry Bateman, the unit’s spokesperson, added: “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.
“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.”
The complainant, Pretorius, said the decision to drop charges against him and only prosecute Advocate Du Plessis has come as a relief.
“Knowing that there is no prosecution against me, or that they are still attempting to prosecute me, lifts a tremendous burden off my shoulders,” stated Pretorius.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with the case. And finally, I’d like to thank AfriForum for all of their efforts and assistance.”
Comments are being sought from Advocate Du Plessis and will be added asap.
