By Everson Luhanga
For years Busisiwe Mbatha’s cop husband was hailed as a champion against gender-based violence (GBV) – while beating her up at home.
The sadistic police officer, a detective constable, has sent shock waves through Gauteng Saps after he was arrested on Thursday night for beating up Busisiwe.
The officer, who is attached to the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Unit in Brakpan, faces charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
But this is far from the first time the officer has been accused of raising his hands to Busiswe.
Scrolla.Africa visited her at her home and she explained the ordeal of being subjected to abuse at the hands of a man of law.
“I would sometimes go with him to his work where he would arrest GBV suspects – while he abuses me in a similar way as the victims who come to him,” said Busisiwe.
“Signs of abuse started early in our relationship when he started accusing me of cheating on him.
“He would come unannounced to my place and sometimes he would follow me to my workplace.”
The mother of two said several times, her boyfriend would assault her and she would forgive him as he would come the following day, begging her to take him back.
She said in 2021, he assaulted her to a point where she had a miscarriage.
“After the miscarriage, he accused me of aborting his child but it happened after he had beaten me up,” she said.
“On 20 July 2022 he came with his brothers and he badly assaulted me while his brothers watched,” she alleged.
After this assault Busisiwe was convinced by the officer’s family to drop charges.
But a police officer from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) assigned to investigate the case refused to drop the charges. She arrested the officer in July 2022.
He was released on bail on 2 August 2022.
The suspect is due to return to the Protea Magistrate’s Court on 27 March to answer for this assault.
Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping said: “The woman tried to withdraw the case but the request was declined by the state. She was informed that gender-based violence and femicide cases cannot be withdrawn.”
Suping said the officer was out on bail for the previous assault. His bail conditions were that he should not be in contact with the victim.
Ipid assisted the victim to make a second case against the police officer and the information will be used to apply to the courts to revoke his previous bail, Suping said. “He will appear at the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Monday for this latest assault case.”
Pictured above: Photo taken by Busisiwe Mbatha last Thursday after her husband was arrested for assaulting her
Image source: Supplied
