ANC Women’s League stand up against abuse on women and children

Lolo Madonsela

The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL), under the Mzala Nxumalo region, picketed against gender-based violence outside the Vryheid court, where a suspect appeared for the murder of his sister.
According to the SAPS spokesperson for the Zululand Cluster, Captain Nkocy Gwala, a 38-year-old suspect was arrested in Hlobane for rape and murder.
According to Captain Gwala, Hlobane police officers conducted a joint operation with the Vryheid K9 Unit after a woman (34) went missing on June 27 at about 6pm.
She was found at the bottom of a cliff in the veld, approximately 900 metres away from her home. Upon investigation, it was discovered that she had been raped and strangled to death.
Further investigation revealed that there were blood stains on her bed and that she had been pulled from her home into the veld, where she was then thrown off the cliff. It was discovered that the deceased was pregnant.
She had a broken neck, as well as two stab wounds to the left side of her body and to the stomach. The suspect is a brother of the deceased.

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“There was no missing persons report to the police until her body was found on June 30,” said Capt Gwala.
The Mzala Nxumalo Regional Secretary of the ANCWL, Phumzile Selepe, said in a statement, “The African National Congress Women’s League Mzala Nxumalo Region has observed with great concern the spate of gruesome violence against women in the country. It is with great sadness that some of these killings happened under the pretext of love. People who should ordinarily protect others are the ones who are perpetrating the violence against their loved ones”.
Selepe cited that despite a number of campaigns against gender- based violence and homicide, these barbaric acts continue to raise their ugly heads at an increased pace, and that Zululand District was not immune to the challenges of gender- based violence and homicide, with specific reference to the case that happened in Ward 5 (Hlobane) of Abaqulusi Local Municipality.
“We wish to call upon all law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in dealing with all culprits of gender-based violence and homicide.
“Such people deserve the full might of the law and don’t deserve to be within our societies. We also call upon responsible men to stand up, defend women and ensure that such cruelty does not happen in their name.
“It is an unfortunate thing that such challenges continue to haunt us during these difficult times when everyone should be concerned with flattening the curve of the Covid-19 pandemic which continues to claim the lives of our people.
“We wish to call on women from within as well as outside of our district to come out and report cases of gender-based violence and not be blinded by people who abuse them, claiming to love them. WATHINTA ABAFAZI WATHINTA IMBOKODO!” added Selepe.

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