Wife allegedly nearly run over and assaulted in vehicle by husband
A woman was allegedly nearly run over and assaulted in her vehicle by her spouse and his brother on Sunday.
MBOMBELA – Police spokesman, Capt Zandile Gwaqa stated that David Mdluli (50) and Happy Nkuna (32) appeared briefly in the Nelspruit District Court on Wednesday on charges of malicious damage to property and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.
ALSO READ: Gang rivalry the alleged cause of murder
Linda Hamilton Mdluli (47), who is married to David (50), from Mdluli Farms, spoke to Lowvelder about the incident. “I do not want to keep silent about this. As a woman I am not going to feel embarrassed that this has happened to me. Our country says they must stop violence against women and children. I want to see if I will get the protection the government keeps promising us.”
She said she was recently asked to leave her marital home by David. Linda and David had been through previous marriages and both owned separate homes in Mataffin for their children.
“On Sunday I went back to the marital home to fetch my sister’s son’s keys. David had just returned and I leaned over into his car window to ask about the keys. He took off at high speed and I fell and bruised my ankles. My son ran to me, screaming at David that he could have killed me. David apologised and left.”
About 20 minutes later, when Linda had returned to her children’s home, her husband arrived at the house. “David arrived at my place with his two brothers, their 14-year-old grandson and with other two other men I did not know.”
Tom Mdluli asked her for a generator she had borrowed. “I told him it is in the garage and I would return it in the morning.
They started to get rowdy and threatened me. My son just told me to give it to them, so I did.”
ALSO READ: BREAKING NEWS: Protests erupt after illegal structures demolished
After the men were given the generator, her husband, David, allegedly demanded she give him the car keys. “I need the car to get to work and back, so I refused. I ran and locked myself in the car.”
The men hurled insults at her. Nkuna then allegedly took a concrete block and smashed the driver’s side of the vehicle where Linda was sitting. “There were cuts on my head, arm and leg. I thought this is it, they are going to kill me.”
The men allegedly then opened the car door. “I hung onto the steering wheel. They pulled my legs apart like a ragdoll. They were hitting me all over my body.” She heard them saying that they must get out of there and they left her.
“I was left shaken and stripped of my dignity. I finally managed to call the police to come and help me.”
Linda had also opened an interim protection order against her husband and started procedures for a divorce.
