Durban - Gender activists and crime researchers have expressed disbelief that the police had not yet applied for a warrant of arrest for a former lieutenant-colonel who allegedly threw two hand grenades at his wife in their eManzimtoti home on Sunday, killing her.
They pointed out that he stood accused of committing a “dangerous attack” using state weaponry which should not have been in his possession.
One crime expert questioned whether there was not an aspect to the attack and the man’s disappearance that “we are completely unaware of”.
According to police, the couple, had been arguing in their Karridale Drive home in eManzimtoti on Sunday morning when the man threw the grenades and one exploded in the kitchen.
The woman, who has been identified as Lesego Mohoasa, 33, an air force clerk for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) at the Bluff Military Base, was declared dead on arrival at Kingsway Hospital and the man, who is also an uMkhonto we Sizwe veteran, fled and has not yet been found.
Police have confirmed that they were investigating a case of murder and illegal possession of explosives, but provincial police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane told The Mercury that a warrant of arrest had not yet been issued for the man.
He said this was because the families and people close to the man were “co-operating” and his identity was not being released to the media.
He said all police units, including crime intelligence, had been activated to search for him.
Johan Burger, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, said it was “strange” that police wanted to explore other avenues before applying for a warrant of arrest.
“The police should start searching for this person immediately. Clearly this is a very dangerous person. There is absolutely no justification for waiting.
“It is possible that there is an angle to this case that we are completely unaware of. But other than that, it would make absolutely no sense to treat the case in the way that they are doing it,” he said.
Burger said the normal procedure was that once the police were confident that they knew who the suspect was, they would apply for a warrant of arrest. If the suspect had run away, he could be anywhere.
Burger said if police had a reason to believe the man had fled the country, the warrant of arrest had to be made available to Interpol.
Gender activist Anshu Padayachee, a co-founder of the Advice Desk for Abused Women, agreed with Burger’s view.
“It’s a devastating incident. It is worrying that there is no warrant of arrest especially when it is our constant complaint that police do not act when we want them to.”
She added that the matter was “particularly serious” because of the use of military weapons.
Another gender activist, Lisa Vetten, a research associate at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research, and who has done extensive research on violence against women, said it was shocking how police were treating the case, given that there was already criticism about the police’s conduct in cases involving violence against women.
“In August, Women’s Month, police were criticised, even in Parliament, for not responding properly to woman abuse cases. It is unacceptable. The co-operation from the family has nothing to do with the issue of the warrant of arrest,” she said.
KZN MEC for Safety and Community Liaison Willies Mchunu said he was disturbed by “this senseless, inhumane and diabolical” murder.
“It is extremely painful to wake up to the terrible news that a woman has been murdered in such a nefarious manner.
“We also appeal to the suspect to hand himself over and urge anyone who might have any information to come forward.”
MK man’s military career:
According to the official magazine of the SA Air Force, the senior officer was born in Umlazi, and attended secondary school in Benoni.
He joined MK in Angola in the 1980s, after leaving the country for military training.
In 1989, he was deployed to the office of the chief representative of the ANC in Zambia.
He was integrated into the SA Air Force Protection Services in 1994. After courses in military orientation and officer forming, he also completed the regimental instructor’s course. He served as the protection operations officer for 516 Squadron and commanding officer of 502 and 506 squadrons before he took early retirement.
The Mercury