UPDATE: ‘Naked’ protester in court for public indecency
VIDEO: She protested wearing only her panties and a piece of underwear slung around her neck.
Various organisations showed up in support at the court appearance of a woman who was arrested for protesting “half naked” at the Union Buildings on Wednesday.
“We strongly believe she was wrongfully arrested,” said Zintle Bangiso coordinator of the ANC young woman’s desk at Unisa, Sunnyside campus.
“And she was not naked because she had her bra and panties on.”
On Thursday Gugu Ncube appeared at the Pretoria magistrate’s court after she was arrested and released on warning for public indecency.
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She protested wearing only her panties and a piece of underwear slung around her neck.
Ncube was protesting what she claims was unfair treatment at the hands of the University of South Africa (Unisa) after reporting her boss for sexual harassment.
Ncube claimed she was forced out of her job at the university after reporting her immediate superior who asked her “to perform sexual favours for benefits”.
EFF provincial chairperson Mandisa Mashego said the sexual assault case should be re-opened and Unisa must be exposed for their “secondary violation of the victim”.
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“Not only do we want the assault charge to be reopened, but we are going to open a charge of assault against the police if she has not done so yet,” she said.
Mashego said the party was furious that “the perpetrator is being protected” while “the victim gets violated by the same police who are supposed to protect her”.
“In my view she was not naked, the police need to understand that there are different types of protests.”
Phindile Nkrumah from 1-in-9 campaign, who is also a victim of sexual abuse, said: “We are tired of talking because nothing gets done. We feel unsafe, the people who are supposed to protect us are failing us.”
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The matter was postponed to 10 April, pending further investigations.
Ncube’s lawyer Nefuri Mpho said his client was traumatised by “the extreme use of violence used against her by the police”.
He said they were seeking counselling for her.
“That was extreme use of violence against an unarmed woman, she didn’t even have a stone in her hand. She was forced into the police station and detained like a common criminal. That can’t be tolerated,” he said.
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