GBV

A fringe of South African society still believes women should be beaten for ‘burning food’ and ‘refusing sex’ – Image via Adobe Stock

GBV latest: KwaZulu-Natal man arrested for wife’s murder

Police swooped on the man who allegedly murdered his wife with an angle grinder in the latest horror gender based violence (GBV) killing.

GBV

A fringe of South African society still believes women should be beaten for ‘burning food’ and ‘refusing sex’ – Image via Adobe Stock

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza has lauded the police for the swift arrest of a man linked to the murder of a woman in the latest horror gender-based violence (GBV) killing in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban.

Police managed to trace the man to Estcourt, in the KZN Midlands on Monday. The man has been on the run after he allegedly brutally murdered his wife in their home at Mkhazini area last Friday. It is alleged that the man used an angle grinder to kill his wife. 

The suspectused his wife’s vehicle to escape the scene after allegedly committing the murder.  Neighbours had found the 46-year old man inside a the house after a ten year old boy reported seeing drops of blood at the scene.

Khoza commended the police for the swift arrest.

“It is very pleasing that our law enforcement agencies have taken these cases of gender-based violence seriously and they don’t rest until the suspects are nabbed. We believe that the only way to curb these crimes in our communities is through a focused approach and working together as different sectors and departments,” she said. 

Khoza said although the life of Mvubu would not be brought back, the arrest of the suspect restored community confidence in the fight against GBV and femicide.

“As a department,  we have identified a number of  hotspot areas in the province to ensure our vigorous campaign to face GBV head on.  We want to see civil society formations and volunteers bolstering these plans and campaigns with fresh approaches to single out abusers and rapists in our communities,” she added. 

Khoza urged GBV victims and families not to keep quiet about their ordeals.  She said families should be the first ones to notice when there was abuse as the abuser would firstly isolate the victim. 

“We all need to re-energised thinking on how to deal with these incidents. We cannot always talk about women being murdered and count them as statistics. Women should also refuse to victims of abuse and must speak out before losing their lives,” she said.

Khoza said a team of social workers had been assigned to the Mvubu family to provide offer them psychosocial support.  

“Our team will have to ensure that the family is able to cope with the situation and the young boy who witnessed the incident also needs debriefing,”she said.