DURBAN - A THIRTY-four-year-old man was expected to appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday for the alleged murder of his girlfriend.
The suspect, from Ezinketheni informal settlement in Copesville, has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Bongile Jila, 39.
He was arrested by Mountain Rise police on Monday.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said the deceased was staying over for the night with her boyfriend on Sunday when the incident happened.
“It is alleged that they had been drinking earlier in the evening and the deceased had gone to bed. At midnight there was noise as the accused had allegedly assaulted the deceased. Someone intervened and the assault stopped,” Mbele said.
The couple apparently resumed drinking together. On Monday morning, others living on the property became aware that Jila was dead, and an ambulance was called.
“Jila was declared deceased on the scene. She had been bleeding through her nose,” Mbele said.
Mara Glennie, Founder and CEO of TEARS Foundation, which offers a survivor-centred service, said: “Last year over the festive season, we were inundated with 42 962 calls for help over gender-based violence (GBV), which was a 57% increase from November 2020 and a 117% increase from October 2020. The majority of the calls TEARS Foundation received over the festive season were related to domestic violence and sexual assault.”
Glennie added that each survivor’s experience and healing process was different, and for some people, the holiday period may be an especially tough time.
She said there were five crucial steps that victims of GBV, as well as those who suspected GBV, could follow to protect themselves, get help and get out of abusive situations:
• It is not your fault: Abuse is never your fault. There is nothing you could do or say that would make it okay for someone to hurt you in any way.
• Do not feel guilty: There is nothing to be ashamed of. You did not choose to be in a relationship with an abuser.
• Make notes: Write down everything you can about the abusive incidents when your abuser is not around. Take screen shots of any abusive messages they send to you. • Safety planning: a crucial step for someone involved in an abusive relationship.
• Do not tell your partner that you are leaving them. Trust your instincts. Practice how to get out safely, with your children. Teach your children that violence is never right, even when someone they love is being violent.
Seugnette van Wyngaard, head of 1st for Women, which helps funds TEARS, said: “Government’s goal is to eradicate GBV and femicide by 2030, but we are already on the back foot.
“While we wait for action and accountability to protect our women from the GBV pandemic, we need to do what we can to support the passionate activists and advocacy groups who work tirelessly to assist victims and survivors of GBV in South Africa.”
Daily News