Cops ‘too afraid’ of dogs to arrest man suspected of gender-based violence

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Pretoria - Police reportedly told a victim of gender-based violence they could not arrest the suspect because they were afraid of the dogs he kept at his home. However, in the wake of the attention been given to gender based violence, including a march by public servants to the Union Buildings and calls by the President Cyril Ramaphosa for tough action, the suspect from Mamelodi has been arrested. Sibongile Nkuna has claimed that the man, her former boyfriend and father of her child had been abusive towards her for a long time. Then, a fortnight ago, she said, he beat her up so badly she decided she had had enough and went to report him. She went to the Mamelodi West Police Station to lay a charge but claims she was told the police were scared of Zime's dogs so would not go to arrest him. Nkuna told the Pretoria News an officer first told her this, and said only a vehicle from another police station (Mamelodi East) could go into the area where the man lived.

The suspect was finally arrested on Saturday morning by the combat and reaction team under the watch of Captain Frans Maloka.

“One look at her and I could tell she was terrified and desperate. I decided we had to act immediately. We went to where the suspect was staying,” said Maloka.

He said that when they arrived the man locked the front door and escaped through a window.

“Luckily, we had the area surrounded. We saw him trying to jump out of the window and over a wall,” Maloka said.

Nkuna had opened a case of assault at Mamelodi West Police Station on September 13.

Nkuna, who had dated the man since 2017, is grateful her cries have been heard.

“His aunt called me on Friday and told me that the family wanted to have a meeting with my family so they could apologise for his behaviour. I did not want any of that so I came to the police station,” she said.

Maloka said the man would appear in court soon. He said that as per President Ramaphosa’s instruction, all men accused of gender-based violence should not receive bail or parole.They would approach this case with the same mentality.

He said the way the police station had handled the matter initially was shocking, and there was no justification for why the man had not been arrested sooner.

Pretoria News