Cape Town - Lavender Hill non-profit organisation Philisa Abafazi Bethu Women’s Centre is appealing to the public to assist in buying an emergency response vehicle to help women unable to get away from domestic abuse and violence, and take them to a place of safety.
The organisation, which provides safety and support to women and children and food relief on the Cape Flats and informal settlements, receives many calls for assistance, often cases of domestic abuse where prompt response and action is needed to save lives.
The organisation’s founder, Lucinda Evans, said they have difficulty reaching these women, because often there is no emergency vehicle available.
The need for a vehicle became even more dire after an incident of intimate partner violence in Lotus River on Wednesday.
Sascha-Lee Ruiters witnessed it from her home around 4.20pm on Waterford Avenue. Ruiters said she heard a woman screaming in front of her home and when she went to see what was going on, saw a man hitting and dragging the woman.
The man left after several neighbours came out and told him to leave, but reappeared, prompting Ruiters to call 10111.
“When I got off the phone (in all of two minutes) he had dragged her in front of our house and was kicking her, beating her, trying to stab her with the metal rod he had, and about 20 neighbours now came flooding out to chase him and he fled,” said Ruiters.
Standing away from the crowd, the man threatened to kill her, she said.
To assist, contact Evans at 073 424 4665.
Cape Argus