As Women’s Month draws to a close, women in the Northern Cape continue to suffer gender-based violence and abuse at the hands of their intimate life partners.
AS WOMEN’S Month draws to a close, women in the Northern Cape continue to suffer gender-based violence and abuse at the hands of their intimate life partners.
A 35-year-old woman was apparently murdered inside a shack in Donkerhoek, Galeshewe, earlier this week. The shanty was later set alight.
Neighbours, who struggled for almost an hour to put out the fire, said they were not aware that the deceased was inside when the flames engulfed the structure.
Eyewitnesses claimed they saw the owner of the shanty carrying a knife before it caught alight and indicated that he later fled the scene.
They said an argument broke out between the deceased and her boyfriend prior to the fire.
“The deceased stayed with the suspect and they had a baby together. The deceased had two young children from a previous relationship, who were also staying with them.”
An adjacent shanty was also destroyed in the fire.
A neighbour, Thamsanqa Mtshidia, said that he woke up at around 2.30am.
“Thankfully, the children were not there at the time. I was worried that our shanty would also catch fire as they are in close proximity. We used buckets of water to try and put out the blaze. We were surprised to see a forensic van arrive after the fire brigade had left. No one heard anyone screaming during the fire.”
In another violent incident, a woman was stabbed several times in Kuruman on August 27, allegedly by her boyfriend. She was found with a butcher’s knife lodged in her head.
The police are still in the process of gathering information on the cases.
Meanwhile, 38-year-old Vincent van Wyk was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping his ex-girlfriend’s sister.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Molefi Shemane said the incident occurred on June 16, 2020, in Greenpoint when a 24-year-old woman was walking with her friend to a tuck shop.
“She was standing outside her aunt’s house when the accused, who is her sister’s ex-boyfriend, approached her and allegedly dragged her into a shack against her will. She was assaulted and raped,” said Shemane.
He indicated that Van Wyk was sentenced in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on August 28.
“His name will be entered into the sexual offences register and he was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.”
In yet another recent incident, Tiietso Imvula, 21, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, of which two years were suspended for five years, by the Mothibistad Regional Court on August 24 for raping a 22-year-old woman.
Shemane said that the complainant was walking home from a tavern on January 9, at around 1am, when her cousin’s son offered to accompany her.
“On the way, the accused took out a knife and threatened her. He grabbed her and raped her twice in an abandoned shanty.”
Shemane added that another 24-year-old man was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl.
“The girl had an argument with her mother on May 25, 2018, after midnight, when she decided to sleep at her brother’s house. On the way home, an unknown male grabbed her from behind, around the neck, and threw her down. She recognised the accused as someone who resides in the same area. The accused then sexually assaulted the victim.”
Shemane stated that the accused was sentenced in the Kuruman Regional Court on August 23 and was found unfit to work with children.
“The accused’s name will be entered in the national register of sex offenders. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.“
The provincial commissioner, Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola, applauded Detective Warrant Officer Attie Browsers, Detective Sergeant Lebogang Serati and Detective Sergeant Precious Schoeman for their “thorough and meticulous investigations that led to removing the perpetrators of GBV from society for a lengthy period”.
In yet another case of GBV, an Upington man, Samuel Blom received three life sentences for the murder and rape of his life-partner.
Blom was found guilty on a charge of murder, two counts of rape and a further charge of defeating the ends of justice after he was convicted of the murder of Katriena Kedebone Petro.
The spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Northern Cape, Mojalefa Senokoatsane, said the incident occurred on July 17, 2019.
“On the day of the incident, the victim and the accused were at their home near Dakota informal settlement when the accused assaulted the victim before repeatedly raping her. After the accused realised that the victim was not responding, he tried to conceal his act,” said Senokoatsane.
“The State, represented by senior advocate Johannes Cloete, told the court that the accused dragged the body of the deceased from their home to nearby bushes. Her naked body was discovered by children on July 20.
“Through medical evidence, the court heard that the injuries the victim had endured at the hands of her intimate life partner were similar to injuries suffered by victims of motor vehicle accidents.”
Senokoatsane said the court could not find any compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence for the crimes.
