The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma has applauded police for their swift response in arresting a 27 year man who allegedly raped a 68 year old woman on Saturday 7 March 2020, at Delmas and threw her in a dam.
According to the report, on that fateful day, the old woman was asleep in her house at Waaikraal informal settlement near Delmas when she was awoken by a strange noise of someone trying to break her door. She then got up to investigate and found the man at the door. Without any word, the man who is known to her, started assaulting the old woman and dragged her to a nearby bush where he apparently tore off her clothes and raped her.
He then strangled her to a point where she became unconscious and tossed her at a dam nearby thinking she had died. Somehow the woman regained her consciousness and managed to swim to safety. The woman who could barely walk because of the ordeal, bravely crawled in the darkness until she reached her house where she alerted her neighbors about the incident.
This led the neighbors, with the assistance of other community members, to search for the man. At the same time police were notified and quickly rushed to the scene. A case of rape as well as kidnapping was opened and the woman received necessary medical assistance. Police immediately began with their investigation.
Whilst the police were conducting an investigation into the case, they received a message that the man had been found by members of the community and was being assaulted. Police rushed to the second scene and rescued the man as well as arresting him. He was taken to hospital for medical assistance thereafter and put under police guard.
The suspect has since appeared at the Delmas Magistrate’s Court yesterday, 12 March 2020 and remanded in custody until 17 March 2020.
The Provincial Commissioner has reiterated his call for society to stand up against Gender-Based-Violence.
“It seems as if suspects continue to prey on vulnerable women and children regardless of the hefty sentences that are being handed down to perpetrators of this type of crime by our Courts. This situation shows an underlying problem of a lack of a morals in our society. We again call on the public, especially the Religious Fraternity, Traditional Leadership, and Opinion leaders to work together with us in addressing this challenge. We would also like to applaud the community for apprehending the suspect, however, I urge the public to refrain from mob justice and assist police by ensuring that they notify us (police) in such cases. Let us do things within the rule of law at all times. I have instructed the Detectives to thoroughly investigate this case because we are gunning for a maximum sentence should he be found guilty so that it would serve as a deterrent for the would-be rapists,” said General Zuma.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
