Durban - A Gauteng mother is recovering in hospital after she was brutally beaten, almost choked to death and left to die in an open veld outside Lenasia, allegedly by a man she had met two months ago.
Mumtaz Haet, 45, who is employed in the publishing industry, has preferred a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm against the man at the Eldorado Park police station and is now hoping justice will prevail.
Speaking on Haet’s behalf, women’s rights activist Romila Sue Harris said that soon after meeting, she and the man had developed a friendship.
“Mumtaz was not in a relationship with him but they would chat on WhatsApp and see each other from time to time. On July 18, two days before the attack, he came to her home for a visit and while she was busy he went through her phone and read her messages.
"He became upset after reading the messages and started arguing with her. She told him to leave her home.”
Harris said that on Friday he contacted her on her landline at work, saying he wanted to see her later that day.
“Mumtaz agreed. When he came to her home he demanded she get into his vehicle and when she refused, he threatened to go after her teenage daughters. As soon as she got into the car she was knocked out,” claimed Harris.
While the man drove, Haet started regaining consciousness.
“He stopped the car on a gravel road outside Lenasia, and threw her out of the vehicle on to the road. He got on top of her and bashed her on the face several times. He then choked her until she passed out. He then left the scene, thinking she had died,” claimed Harris.
Minutes after the attack Haet woke up but was not able to walk.
“She crawled until she hit some tarred road and found the Moses Maren Mission (school), where she sought help. She could not see properly, speak or remember a thing except for her landline number.
“People at the mission contacted her daughters and they managed to arrange for their aunt to fetch her.”
Harris said the incident had left them traumatised.
“We want justice for what has happened. Women cannot be treated this way and that man cannot walk around freely after almost murdering another human being. It is not right.
“We are hoping that through investigations he is arrested and charged with attempted murder.”
Eldorado SAPS confirmed a case had been opened for investigation, but no arrest had been made.