KARABO NTANZI
“Women in the country will continue experiencing violence as long as the justice system fails them.” These are the chilling words of a Warrenton woman who has become another statistic of gender-based violence.
Thirty-one-year-old (31) Lesego Mere said she is lucky to be still alive after a trigger-happy police officer allegedly assaulted her, punched her, pulled her hair and shot her three times at a tavern in Warrenton on 4 January 2023. She was fortunate the bullets did not hit her but said she is still traumatised a year later after the incident. What is more devastating the SAPS failed to arrest or take action against their member who is still roaming the streets despite registering a case with the police.
Mere indicated that her sin was to reject the police officer’s advances while she was enjoying the new year at a local drinking hole.
“I was with my relatives at a local tavern when this police officer started making advances to me. He wanted to go with me forcefully. People who knew him tried unsuccessfully to negotiate with him but he would not listen. He was in a violent mode fighting anyone while brandishing his service pistol. He also assaulted one of my cousins with the gun,” explained the victim.
Mere said two males helped her to run away, ” I opened a case at Warrenton Police Station on 5 January 2023, a day after the incident. But to date, my attacker has never been arrested. We see him every day in our town. I was never even called to testify in court. It is painful the person who did this is a person who was supposed to protect women. I am not sure how many women suffer at the hands of police members who do as they please because they have guns to bully people. I am only told action is taken departmentally, what about my case and my life?”
Despite the case being registered with IPID nothing has happened as she has yet to know the status of her case.
The victim felt let down by the police and justice system. She added that she fears for her life in case the police officer comes and finish her off.
She has only been summoned this month to appear in court in May.
It is not clear whether the policeman will face an internal disciplinary hearing.
The Northern Cape Police Department said the case is being investigated by the IPID.
IPID spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said, “The victim in the matter came to the office and I gave her progress on 27 October 2023.”
“On 9 November 2023, the investigation was completed and the docket was taken to the DDP for decision to prosecute or not. On 14-02-2024 we received a letter from the DPP declining to prosecute due to material contradiction,” highlighted Shuping.
Meanwhile Lesego Mere said she has lost all hope.
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