A Cape Town attorney who has spent years campaigning for safer, more dignified court security measures said the recent killing inside Wynberg Magistrate's Court could have been prevented – if the court had simply followed a High Court order issued nearly five years ago.

The Weekend Argus reports that Dingalomoyo Chintso (49) was shot dead inside the court while waiting to be called up for his murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm case on 8 April 2025.

A week later, 35-year-old Shireen Matthews from Strandfontein appeared in the same court, accused of orchestrating the gang hit.

Matthews has been charged with premeditated murder.

Attorney Ben Mathewson, known for challenging invasive body search procedures in Western Cape Magistrate’s Courts, believes the continued refusal to implement electronic screening devices has contributed to unnecessary conflict inside and outside the Wynberg court building.

‘In 2020, the Western Cape High Court ordered that searches be conducted using handheld scanners or other electronic apparatus, not by hand,’ said Matthewson.

‘Wynberg refused to comply. And now we're seeing the consequences.’

Mathewson's legal battle began in earnest when he launched an application to the Western Cape High Court in 2020, targeting courts across the province – including Cape Town, Bellville, Blue Downs, Khayelitsha, Kuils River, Paarl, and Stellenbosch.

The respondents included the regional head of the Department of Justice, a private security service provider, and the director of legal administration in the Western Cape.

In an order granted by Justice Andre Le Grange on 30 June 2020, the court ruled that all searches must adhere to the Control of Access to Public Premises and Vehicles Act (Act 53 of 1985), reports Weekend Argus.

The order specifically prohibits manual body searches unless carried out in a respectful and lawful manner using electronic devices only.

‘It's about dignity. It's about safety. And it's about doing things the right way,’ Mathewson said.

The judgment made clear that no member of the public may be physically searched by hand unless proper procedures – particularly the use of scanners – were followed.

Furthermore, if a person refuses to co-operate with a scanner search, they may be denied access to the premises. In cases where there is reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, court security is directed to involve the police.

Mathewson pointed to several other courts that have since adopted electronic scanners as a standard procedure – including the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court and Beaufort West – as examples of success.

‘Look at the Cape Town court. Now they use scanners – you hardly hear of incidents there. People are more respectful because they're being treated respectfully,’ he said.

The attorney also noted that scanners are both cost-effective and easier to maintain than constant manual searching.

Full Weekend Argus report