Durban – The Democratic Alliance Women’s Network (Dawn) in KwaZulu-Natal has called for a swift arrest following the rape, burning and killing of an Inanda woman.
Dawn KZN was left horrified after learning about yet another rape, murder and burning of a 53-year-old woman.
Dumazihlebi Doris Sithole’s body was found in a public toilet in the Bhambayi area over the weekend.
Dawn KZN chairperson Shehana Kajee said: “The splurge of inhumane violence against women and children in this province is spiralling out of control. The high rate of femicide in KZN is exacerbated by the lack of concern and the lack of will power by the provincial police commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, to address these crimes.
“My letter to Mkhwanazi, requesting that he focus on violence against women and children in this province, has gone unanswered more than a year after I sent it to him. This indicates that the abuse, rape and murder of women under his care is not important to him.”
Kajee said Inanda was notorious for being the rape capital of KZN after Umlazi.
It did not need a rocket scientist to understand where the focus should be in the fight for the freedom of movement for women without fear of them losing their lives, Kajee said.
“We appeal to the police to make every effort to find the culprit(s) of this heinous crime and assure a successful prosecution,” Kajee said.
She added that Dawn KZN would monitor the case carefully and be available to the victim's family for support.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said a case of murder was opened at Inanda police station for investigation.
Gwala said that on Saturday, July 2 at 6.30am, police received a complaint of a murder in the public toilet in the Bhambayi area in Inanda.
“On arrival, they were shown the body of a 57-year-old woman with a burnt face and multiple stab wounds on the right breast and left thigh. The motive for the killing is unknown,” Gwala said.
On Wednesday, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development called for the perpetrators of gender-based violence to have no peace.
The department said it was alleged that Sithole went out with friends for drinks and never returned home in Dube Village’s ward 55 in eThekwini Municipality.
“Her partner only heard from his neighbours that Sithole was trending on social media after she was raped, killed and burnt by unknown people in Bhambayi’s Number Five Area,” the department said.
It said that the incident was only reported to the Department of Social Development Inanda Service Office on Tuesday.
MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza regarded Sithole's murder as repugnant. She said local people should not sleep peacefully knowing that women in their area were not safe.
“We have been taken aback by this incident. It is shocking that we live with heartless people. They first attack an innocent woman, rape her, killed her and burn her body. This is so inhumane. How can people attack a woman after killing her, and they take her dignity, even in death?” Khoza said.
She deemed Sithole's murder as cruel and unusual. She said the criminals who attacked Sithole inflicted more pain on the family and denied them an opportunity to bury her body intact.
The department added that a team of social workers had been dispatched to the family to provide psycho-social support and further counselling to Sithole’s friends and family.
Daily News