Everson Luhanga
At first, the police told the victim and her abuser to sit in a room together at the police station to sort out their problems even as her face was visibly swollen from being beaten.
So she brought new evidence of a bullet shell from a weapon that he had discharged. The man was arrested, bringing some relief to those who were feeling unsafe at having the suspect on the loose outside.
But on Thursday, Ntokozo Mbatha was hit by a fresh blow. The court let her alleged abuser out with R1,000 bail!
Community members flocked to the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court where they picketed outside with boards on which was written: NO BAIL FOR THE WOMAN ABUSER.
While the court proceedings were on, they hoped that a man who beat up his baby mama would not get bail and would remain in custody until convicted for his crime.
But the magistrate granted him R1,000 bail and he walked back into the community to live near his victim.
Ntokozo who attended the court proceedings told Scrolla.Africa that her heart sank when she heard the magistrate pronouncing that Frans Ratapa, aged 32, was to be let out on bail of R1,000.
The 21-year-old mother of two said she doesn’t feel safe. “I don’t know whether I should go into hiding or what. I am scared for my life and my children’s life,” she said.
Ntokozo lives in a three-room house with her aunt, three sisters, her two children, her younger brother, and three nieces. Out of the ten of them only Ntokozo’s sister is working.
Gender activist Lizzie Sithole said she organised a group of people to picket outside the court to send a message that such a man should not be out and about in society.
“It was a huge disappointment for us when we were told that he is out after spending only seven days behind bars.”
“It seems we are fighting a losing battle against the courts who let dangerous men like Frans back into society.”
Lizzie said the president has declared gender-based violence (GBV) to be the second pandemic and therefore “we need to reconsider how our law and the courts treat this crime.”
Isaac Mangena, a community leader in Alexandra, was disappointed. “We expect the law to protect victims, but instead it sends the perpetrators back to their victims to do what, finish them off?”
