Cape Town - WHEN the man accused of raping a 24-year-old Crossroads woman and then blackmailing her with a video returns to court today, he will also stand for another rape case.
Anam Tsholoba, 26, appeared briefly in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of rape.
He was arrested last Thursday with his friend for allegedly raping the 24-year-old woman.
Their arrest took place on the eve of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, which starts tomorrow.
Magistrate Goolam Bawa postponed the matter to today, when the accused will appear for two rape cases, one for the 24-year-old and another previous rape charge.
Residents in support of the family handed over a petition calling for Tsholoba to be denied bail yesterday, and a small demonstration was staged outside court.
“We were shocked to see the accused standing alone today. No explanation by the investigating officer or the court was given to us as the family, so we are in the dark.
“We are disappointed and a bit worried now if my sister will get the justice she deserves. We don’t know if the friend will harass and threaten my sister,” a family member said.
In starting off the 16 days campaign, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide will launch the theme “Women’s Economic Justice for a Non-Violent and NonSexist South Africa”.
The briefing will also provide the opportunity for an update on progress made in implementing the National Strategic Plan.
Separately, the National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA) has announced that it will soon launch its own 24-hour toll-free shelter helpline – the first helpline dedicated only to issues of domestic and intimate partner violence – in an effort to get more women to the safety of shelters, away from their abusers.
This week, the team of social workers have started their call centre training, followed by a brief testing phase. The National Shelter Helpline for abused women and their children will go-live on December 2, they said.
NSMSA’s Zubeda Dangor said: “South Africa’s femicide rate is one of the highest in the world, and for many of these women, domestic violence was already part of the equation.
“In a recent speech, Cyril President Ramaphosa also highlighted that more than half of our country’s women have experienced violence at the hands of their partners.
“With the Shelter Helpline, we hope to play an even more significant role in helping women escape abusive domestic situations.”
For help finding a shelter or just for more information, go to www. nsmsa.org.za or find the shelter movement on Facebook and Twitter.
Cape Times