The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, welcomed the sentence handed down by the Potchefstroom Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 21 January 2022 to a 50-year-old Noria Ziburawa for assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH) and for being illegal in the country in terms of immigration Act 2002, Act No. 13 of 2002.
This sentence came after police received information about a video trending on social media in the beginning of January 2022.
In the footage, the accused is seen assaulting a half-naked toddler.
On Thursday, 13 January 2022, the information was operationalised, leading investigators to Potchefstroom Central Business District (CBD), where the suspect was located in a building in Walter Sisulu Street.
Moreover, police also found 32 children in the care of Ziburawa, including the toddler that was seen assaulted on the video. All stakeholders including Social Welfare were summoned to the scene. Consequently, Ziburawa was immediately arrested and appeared before Court for the first time on Friday, 14 January 2022.
She pleaded guilty on both charges and was sentenced as follows:
Count 1: Assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH) – R3000.00 fine or 18 months imprisonment, suspended for 5 years on condition that she is not convicted of a similar charge during the period of suspension.
Count 2: Illegal Immigrant – R800.00 fine or 6 months imprisonment of which half of the sentence is suspended for 3 years on condition that she is not convicted of a similar charge during the period of suspension.
Lieutenant General Sello Kwena lauded the Investigating Officer, Sergeant Jacob Ranoko from the Potchefstroom Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, for a job well done.
