No amount of campaigns may ever penetrate the hearts of the brutal.
A woman was violently beaten by an ex-lover after he had waited for her at her place of work on Tuesday morning, December 7. When Palesa Mothokwa arrived at her place of work off Dirkie Uys Avenue just after 10:00, her ex-boyfriend attacked and beat her in the store’s entrance. Colleagues had called Palesa earlier to let her know the man, whose name is known and has been given to the police, was waiting for her near the store.
She delayed her arrival in hope that he would leave, and after thinking he had given up, made her way to work. This was sadly not the case as the man, a Diepkloof resident, rushed into the store as Palesa arrived and severely assaulted her. Mogale City Traffic Department spokesperson, Papi Motaung, took Palesa to the Roodepoort Police Station were a case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm was opened.
He then escorted the badly bruised woman to the hospital were she was treated for her injuries. Palesa, a Dobsonville resident, had been in a relationship with her attacker for roughly a year before breaking it off last month. Since then, Palesa claimed he has been stalking her, and she had been attempting to ignore him for over a week. Despite breaking Palesa’s phone, her attacker would contact her later that day through a family member to issue a death threat against her and her children, should she report the incident.
*Video shared with permission of the victim – Footage may be upsetting to sensitive viewers
Roodepoort Police spokesperson, Captain Juanita Yorke, confirmed the case had been opened and that police were tracking the man. With the 16 Days of Activism campaign underway, this brings into sharp focus the dangers facing women in abusive relationships and the avenues they can take to seek help. Rae Bagus, Director of Lil Choices, a non-profit that assists women to take control of their lives, praised Palesa for getting out of the relationship. She believes women require bravery and determination to get out of abusive situations.
“It is a vicious cycle. They need to sit down, take stock and decide enough is enough. You are never too old and you have the power to turn it around,” said Rae. Lil Choices can be contacted on 082 782 6018 or 011 672 8051.
Roodepoort Police’s Victim Support Centre is fully operational and incidents of domestic abuse can be reported at the station. Police urge victims to seek counseling, temporarily move out of the house, seek the assistance of a shelter or approach the courts for a protection order.
For assistance from the Social Crime Prevention Unit, contact Sergeant Shumikazi Mbuli on 071 675 7125
