AfriForum yesterday said it would support the family of Reshall Jimmy, who burnt to death in a Ford Kuga, in their battle with Ford Motor Company. 'The criminal justice system failed the victim in this case. The family has been waiting almost three years for the case to be investigated,' said Advocate Gerrie Nel, head of AfriForum's private prosecution unit, at a media briefing in Centurion.

According to a TimesLIVE report, Reshall's sister alleged at the briefing that Ford had offered the family a vehicle worth R1m and to set up a charitable trust in her brother's name. She said the family had rejected this offer due to the circumstances of his death.

'It's about getting justice and the truth of what actually happened,' she said.

Reshall died in his Ford Kuga after it caught alight in December 2015. Nel claimed that Ford warned the family during earlier meetings that they had 'deep pockets'.

'For a company just to sit back and say, "I will not deal with this", for me that is the issue at hand. That's why we perceive the treatment as bullying.'

The Justice Department has said an inquest into Reshall's death would be held on 4 February 2019 in the Western Cape High Court.

The NPA decided not to prosecute Ford and denied the family a nolle prosequi certificate because they were awaiting the result of the inquest.

More than 80 Kugas have caught fire on SA roads, resulting in the global motoring giant having to recall more than 4 000 of them. A Ford SA spokesperson said: 'We remain co-operative with the authorities to help all parties reach a resolution, including the start of a formal inquest to gain closure on the many unanswered questions surrounding this case.'

Full TimesLIVE report