A woman from Phoenix, KZN, who was arrested after a minor traffic incident turned violent, is still fighting for justice months after the case against her was dismissed due to a lack of evidence and investigation.

Rising Sun reports Coceka Gwaji alleges that she was the victim of a brutal and unprovoked assault by a former police officer and her daughter, and says she is being pressured and intimidated as she tries to hold them accountable.

The incident occurred on December 7 near a tailor shop close to Goolams and Westham Secondary School. Gwaji claimed that the confrontation began after she accidentally scratched a vehicle while attempting to park.

“I offered to pay for the damage. But the response was not what I expected. The occupant told me her mother was a police officer and that she was going to call her. Things escalated from there,” she alleged.

Gwaji claims that when the officer arrived, she and her daughter approached her with a sharp object and what appeared to be an iron rod and physically attacked her while she was still seated in her vehicle.

“They beat and stabbed me, and took my car keys. When they noticed that I was bleeding from my head, they threw the keys back at me and left,” she explained.

In an attempt to take down their licence plate number, Gwaji followed them, leading to another minor collision. This, she says, triggered another assault attempt by the officer’s daughter. Fortunately, nearby police officers intervened.

“I was bleeding from my head, and the officers told me to get into the police van. They took me to Unit 10 Clinic, where I was stitched up,” Gwaji said. But instead of receiving further help, she was transported to the Phoenix Police Station where she was arrested and charged with assaulting the officer, assaulting her daughter, and damaging their vehicle.

Gwaji alleged that she was treated inhumanely while in police custody. She further claimed that police officers denied her access to food, pain medication, and visits from her family, despite signing a document outlining her rights. Meanwhile, another cellmate was allowed visits and food.

The charges against Gwaji were later dismissed due to insufficient evidence and a lack of proper investigation. According to sources, the police officer involved in the incident resigned from her position following the attack.

Despite the dismissal of charges, Gwaji said she was approached by the prosecutor who urged her to drop her counter-case against the former officer, claiming her injuries were ‘small in nature’. She refused.

“They interviewed the wrong witnesses – people who were not even there during the incident. They completely ignored the owner of the tailor shop who was present and witnessed everything. He saw the officer and her daughter attack me,” she added.

She also fears for her safety. “Ever since I refused to drop the charges, strange people have been driving past my house, asking my family about me, checking out my property. I don’t know what they want. I just hide inside – I’m scared,” she told the Rising Sun.

Gwaji said the assault left her with long-term injuries. She now suffers from chronic headaches and eye pain. “I can’t even sit in a brightly lit room for too long. The pain in my head and eye is constant,” she continued.

Her counter-case has faced multiple delays and was expected to be heard on Thursday. The court outcome was not yet known by the time of publishing.

She is currently seeking assistance from higher judicial authorities to ensure her case is handled fairly and without interference.

“I just want justice. No one should have to go through what I’ve gone through – and be treated like a criminal for being a victim,” she concluded.

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