Johannesburg - An ANC Youth League official has been arrested for allegedly sjambokking his girlfriend to death.
The alleged murder is said to have happened on Saturday night when Patrick Wisani, the ANCYL chairman for Joburg Inner City, returned home to Yeoville. He is also a former member of the local community policing forum (CPF).
Earlier, Wisani had joined thousands of other ANCYL members at their national congress at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand.
On his arrival home, Wisani tried to locate his girlfriend, but she wasn’t home. He reportedly went on a hunt for her, looking for her at various places until he found her.
Apparently all hell broke loose as soon as they arrived home.
Sources familiar with the incident said Wisani allegedly pulled out a sjambok and repeatedly assaulted the woman. They corroborated each other about how the woman suffered multiple open wounds across her entire body and how those who attended to the scene were shocked.
This version was also corroborated by neighbours, who wanted to remain anonymous.
A neighbour visiting at the time of The Star’s visit on Tuesday described how the woman’s mother had arrived with the police to collect her slain daughter’s possessions.
The couple shared the house with some close friends.
They claim the woman had tried to lay assault charges against Wisani in the past.
Police spokesman Sergeant Nduduzi Zondo confirmed the incident. “There was a dispute between the couple that resulted in the suspect assaulting the lady… until she passed away,” he said.
Zondo said he was not able to release the woman’s name as some of her next of kin had not yet been notified.
Zondo confirmed that Wisani had also been a member of the local CPF in the past. Wisani handed himself over to the police on Monday. He was accompanied by his lawyer.
The allegations against Wisani are likely to be deemed serious by the ANC Women’s League, under its president and Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini.
Last month, on Women’s Day, Dlamini, who took the reins from Angie Motshekga, vowed to deal with men who abuse women and children.
“Men must think twice before they abuse women in South Africa. We are going to mobilise women to fight all forms of abuse. We are also going to show them that the law is not expensive,” she said, speaking at Sasolburg in the Free State.
President Jacob Zuma and his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa were among those who listened when Dlamini made the vow.
She added that she would get legal support for women who survived abuse.
Joburg ANC regional secretary Loyiso Lugayeni was not available to comment on the arrest of Wisani, who was due to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
The Star