DA wants GBV to be prioritised
The Democratic Alliance calls on the police to prioritise all those assaulted, raped and murdered on a daily basis.
Following the arrest of two suspects in connection with the assault and robbery of the world-famous Ndebele artist, Esther Mahlangu, the Mpumalanga DA has once again asked government to prioritise gender-based violence cases.
Reacting shortly after the news of the arrest of the two suspects, the provincial DA’s leader, Jane Sithole, said, “The DA welcomes the arrest of suspects linked to the robbery and assault of Esther Mahlangu. We hope the police have done a thorough job to ensure that the case can go to trial quickly, and that justice is not delayed. We would like to reiterate our numerous calls to SAPS to prioritise gender-based violence cases in this province.”
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She continued by saying that while it is encouraging that suspects had been arrested in this case, the same cannot be said for many unknown victims of violent crimes, especially those who become victims of gender-based violence in Mpumalanga. “
The DA would like to point out that it should be the job of the police to arrest suspects in a timeously manner. This should be done in all cases and not just in high-profile cases where media interest in the case is high. Without prioritising the fight against gender-based violence, we will continue to lose this battle,” said Sithole.
The SAPS and Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane visited the home of Mahlangu after the incident, and said that they would leave no stone unturned to find the suspects who had robbed and assaulted her.
They even offered a R50 000 reward for anyone with information about this particular case.
“Like we do with all cases of gender-based violence, the DA will go to court and support Gogo Esther and her family until the end to make sure that they get justice like all of us deserve,” said Sithole.
