South Africa
Innocent man considers legal action after 16 years in prison─── 12:43 Thu, 21 May 2020
A Durban man who spent 16 years in prison for crimes he did not commit is considering suing the state.
Sibusiso Blose was 28 years old when he was arrested in 2004.
He was jailed for murder, attempted murder and robbery after ballistic evidence that cleared him was overlooked during the trial.
The 44-year-old says he has lost the better part of his life.
"I would love to be compensated because, in my community, everyone knew that a guy from that house is a murderer. When I was in jail, none of my friends could come and see me, when I was arrested no-one wanted to be associated with me, up until today - the day I'm out," he said.
Blose was released by the High Court in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday and says he is hoping to clear his name and get his life back.
Derrick Mdlulu from Justice for Prisoners and Detainees Trust believes there are many people serving sentences for crimes they did not commit.
