Whenever the pensioner husband of a Libode woman comes home drunk, she knows he will hurl insults and accuse her of witchcraft.
For years, the elderly woman has endured the abuse, often in full view of her grandchildren.
“Whenever he is drunk, he calls me a witch,” she said.
“My fear is that this can escalate to me being killed because women who are accused of witchcraft are killed.”
The woman, who cannot be named to protect her identity, said she and her husband now lived in separate houses but the abuse continued.
“This happens in full view of the children. We are in constant fear whenever he comes home drunk,” she said.
“I sought assistance and he was told to sleep in a different house but he still comes to abuse me. I feel hopeless.”
The couple have been married for 41 years and have five children together.
She was among scores of residents who attended a gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) imbizo hosted by the justice and constitutional development department in partnership with Her Majesty Queen Madosini Ndamase, of the Amapondo aseNyandeni Kingdom in Libode, on Tuesday.
The imbizo aimed to hear directly from residents about their experiences of GBVF.
Nyandeni, which includes Libode and Ngqeleni, is among the province’s hotspots for murder and rape.
Residents raised concerns before justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, Queen Ndamase, King Ndamase Ndamase and representatives from the SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority, correctional services, social development and NGOs.
Community members said slow court processes, suspects being granted bail, inadequate support for survivors, DNA delays and shortages of personnel and resources were undermining efforts to tackle GBVF.
Councillor Zoleka Mcithakali urged authorities to carefully assess offenders before granting bail.
“Most of the cases of GBV are committed by people out on parole,” she said.
Mcithakali also cited a triple murder case dating back to 2016 that had still not been finalised.
“We need the law to be tightened. Things are getting worse in Nyandeni,” she said.
“It’s worse for elderly women who are accused of witchcraft.”
Several speakers blamed drugs for fuelling GBVF, while others alleged that police sometimes exposed the identities of residents who reported drug dealers.
A survivor called for GBVF awareness campaigns in correctional facilities.
“There’s a need for awareness in prisons because they come back and do the same thing to us when they are released,” the survivor said.
Nolusapho Malindi, founder of Development Education and Leadership Teams in Action (DELTA), said a shortage of social workers was delaying justice.
He cited a case in Libode where proceedings involving an elderly woman were postponed because a social worker’s report had not been completed.
“We were told there’s only one person dealing with 14 police stations.
“Eventually we got the report, but how about those elderly women in remote villages who have no idea what to do? These things need to be addressed,” Malindi said.
Eastern Cape Commission for Gender Equality provincial manager Nceba Mrhwebo said the scale of GBVF in the province remained alarming.
“In one of our outreach programmes at St Elizabeth Hospital in Lusikisiki, most of the patients in the maternity ward were children who were pregnant.
“So it talks to the issue of violence against young girls and the issue of teenage pregnancy and child pregnancy. So GBV is very rife in our province,” Mrhwebo said.
Queen Ndamase said she invited Kubayi because of the sharp increase in the murders of women and children in her jurisdiction over the past three years.
“We’ve lost a number of girls who were murdered and raped on their way to and from school.
“It made us believe we most likely have a serial killer, particularly in the village of Zibungu, where four grade 12 girls have been raped and killed in the same area in the same manner over a number of years.
“At this particular moment there’s a thin line between justice and our people because arrests are made but within three days those people are released on bail.
“Some are found not guilty due to lack of evidence, then they come back to the same communities and commit more crimes.
“So that is where we fail to understand justice.
“People are losing hope and confidence in our justice system.
“Now, having the minister here, we want her to re-emphasise the role of justice,” she said.
Queen Ndamase also recounted a disturbing conversation with a 14-year-old boy during a community engagement.
“He said if a girl doesn’t listen, the best way to deal with her is to rape her and then kill her so she doesn’t open a case.”
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.