Pretoria: The leadership of the Economic Freedom Fighters in Tshwane were, on Wednesday, scheduled to picket at the Mamelodi police station, to demand justice for Keitumetse Maluleka, the gender-based violence (GBV) victim whose video went viral this week after the alleged perpetrator was released on warning.
The EFF members, who are led by Tshwane regional chairperson Obakeng Ramabodu, regional secretary Thapelo Mogale and Tshwane GBV co-ordinator Brenda Phukuile, are expected at the police station at around 10am.
The regional EFF said it would be at the police station to “demand answers on the sudden release of the suspect who was allegedly released on a verbal warning by the police”.
“We want to know what led to the premature release and why the police dragged their feet to assist the victim,” the EFF Tshwane said in an advisory.
On Monday, Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko said she has been assured by Gauteng provincial commissioner of police Lieutenant General Elias Mawela that the case of the beaten, distressed Mamelodi woman was receiving attention.
Mazibuko’s intervention came after the video of the woman has gone viral, with thousands of people commenting on it, and many wanting an explanation from the SAPS.
“Do you see my face, South Africans? I am here, I am now at the Silverton police station where I opened a case of assault in the early hours of today. My abuser is roaming the streets as we speak. The police did nothing to help us,” the battered Maluleka said in the video.
“When we walked in here, they (police officers) were grovelling to him like a king and I knew something was going to happen. I opened multiple cases, reporting this person. He is making my life a living hell.”
The woman said she had driven to Mamelodi police station but found it closed.
“I literally drove around the police station, trying to get assistance, with nobody availing themselves. It looked empty as if there was no one, hence I had to drive from Mamelodi to Silverton,” she said.
Maluleka said the police officers opened the case only after calling the perpetrator and speaking to him, asking him to come to the station where he was later allowed to leave to go home.
Hours after the video had gone viral, the SAPS released a statement, saying: “The management of the SAPS in Gauteng has noticed with concern a video circulating on social media platforms, where a complainant in an alleged domestic violence incident could not get assistance in Mamelodi, as the police station was closed.
“The complainant then proceeded to open a case of domestic violence and assault at Silverton. The Silverton police arrested the suspect in the early hours of December 12, 2021.”
Police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said the case docket and the arrested suspect were transferred by the Silverton police to SAPS Mamelodi for further investigation.
A detective in Mamelodi, who was allocated the case, charged the 46-year-old suspect with assault and released him on a warning to appear in court on December 30.
“The station commander has also instituted an internal disciplinary investigation into the detective member that released the suspect on a warning, and failed to liaise with the complainant,” said Muridili.
Mazibuko also tweeted that she had been informed that the alleged perpetrator had been rearrested.
IOL