Advocate Riegal du Toit: A dedicated public servant remembered

Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has expressed her condolences and deep sadness at the news of the passing of Advocate Riegal du Toit, a deputy director of public prosecutions in Gauteng.

Du Toit, a well-known prosecutor, died on Thursday at his Sinoville, north of Pretoria home. Police said in a statement that they attended the scene and found a man in his swimming pool with a bullet wound to his head. While the SAPS did not release the name, it was confirmed to be Du Toit. No foul play is suspected at this stage, but an inquest will be held later to determine the circumstances of his death.

Kubayi said in a statement on Sunday that Du Toit, who was stationed at the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) office in Johannesburg, served the justice system with dedication and professionalism. “He contributed meaningfully to the work of the National Prosecuting Authority and the broader pursuit of justice,” she said. She extended her heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and relatives during this difficult time. The Minister also conveyed her sympathies to his colleagues and the entire prosecutorial fraternity who have lost a committed and respected public servant.

Du Toit was a veteran prosecutor who attended many high-profile trials, including that of now-convicted Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir. He was particularly in the spotlight 14 years ago, handling one of the fraud cases against Krejcir. He had to be protected around the clock as protection was assigned to him after his name was found on an alleged hit list during a raid on Krejcir's house at the time.

While no-nonsense in fighting organised crime, Du Toit was also said to be fair when it came to meting out justice. This was proved when he was instrumental in 2019 to ensure a fair plea bargain for a father who had accidentally shot his own son. The father, who told the court that he mistakenly shot his biological son at Fred Norman High School in Ennerdale, was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years by the Lenasia Regional Court.

Du Toit entered into the plea and sentence agreement with the view of securing a sentence that has reasonable prospects of passing judicial muster while also ensuring the rights of the father under the circumstances.

Well-known private investigator Mike Bolhuis, who knew Du Toit very well, expressed his shock and sadness at Du Toit's death. He said: “It is terribly sad that he could not reach out and that he could not be saved. He was a phenomenal person; this is clear from all the reactions to his death, from the police and others who knew him. It is a big loss, and my heart and that of my organisation go out to his family.”

Bolhuis met Du Toit years ago when the prosecutor was a member of the Scorpions and part of a task team that investigated Bolhuis and his team at the time. They became friends over the years, and Du Toit from time to time reached out to him. Bolhuis expressed his concern that Du Toit chose this route in the end. “I so hoped that he would phone me and reach out. The police handled his death very well, and I am glad they handled him with so much respect. They did a proper investigation, and there was no foul play," he said.

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