A raging mother beat a rapist to death with the help of an angry mob after finding her disabled daughter undressed at his house in South Africa.
The 44-year-old – who has been dubbed ‘warrior woman’ in her village – arrived home after shopping in Cacadu, Eastern Province, last month to find her 20-year-old girl missing.
Neighbours told her she was last seen walking with a 65-year-old local man to his house and when she stormed in she found the pair in a state of undress on the bed.
A furious mob who had followed the woman – who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim – also entered the suspect’s small holding and witnessed the scene.
The mother was arrested and charged with murder but has now been cleared following a public outcry.
South African Police spokesman Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said: ‘The woman caught the man and her daughter getting dressed and asked her what had just been happening.
‘The victim pointed down to her private parts and the mum, assisted by residents, attacked the man who was allegedly beaten to death, leading to the arrest of the mother.
‘The assault by the mother and the community on the alleged perpetrator left him so badly injured that he was declared dead at the scene when an ambulance arrived’, he said.
A raging mother beat a rapist to death with the help of an angry mob after finding her disabled daughter undressed in his house in South Africa. The mother arrived home after shopping in Cacadu, Eastern Province, last month to find her 20-year-old girl missing. Pictured: Cacadu
The 44-year-old – who has been dubbed ‘warrior woman’ in her village – was charged with murder but has now been cleared following a public outcry. Pictured: The court
She was bailed and brought before Cacadu Magistrates on Monday in a court room packed with high profile supporters.
The National Prosecuting Authority dropped the charge following the huge wave of public support.
Locals cheered as the charge of murder was dropped.
National Prosecuting Authority’s Eastern Cape spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said: ‘The matter has been withdrawn after careful consideration by the Director of Public Prosecutions’.
The relieved mother told News24: ‘I thank everyone who supported me since the incident and my subsequent arrest and the withdrawal of the charge means I can now help my daughter.
‘I will now have the strength to focus fully on her wellbeing as she has been emotionally distressed by what happened to her as a doctor has confirmed that she was raped,’ she said.
The brave mother had earlier told how the rapist was a family friend and how she stormed up to his house and kicked in the door and found him and her daughter both half dressed.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and his Social Development provincial cabinet minister Bukiwe Fanta were among a huge crowd supporting the mother at the court. Pictured: Bukiwe Fanta arriving at court on Monday
She told News24: ‘I cried and asked this man what he was doing to my disabled daughter who cannot even speak for herself so defending her myself was the only option I had’.
She added: ‘What happened happened and is in the past and my daughter and I have to rebuild. Once again I thank everyone for their support which has come from all across SA’.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and his Social Development provincial cabinet minister Bukiwe Fanta were among a huge crowd supporting the mother at the court.
Ms Fanta said: ‘The mother’s action were viewed within the context of a desperate attempt to protect her child from the hands of a violent predator.
‘The decision shows compassion for how individuals may react in a crisis.
‘While the rule of law is essential for order and justice it must also be applied with empathy and an art of understanding human emotion when faced by threat against ones loved ones.
‘The decision reaffirms our commitment to ensuring justice is not blind but also humane. I am very pleased the charge of murder has gone as it shows compassion and understanding.
‘This case has touched the hearts of many in our society and sparked a critical dialogue about the issue of GBV, parental instincts, and the complexities of our legal system.
‘But the right decision was made by the NPA to withdraw the charge of murder’ she said.
Mr Mabuyane added: ‘We commend the NPA for its sensitivity and careful consideration of the extreme circumstances that led to this case.
‘The decision reflects a compassionate understanding of the context and the instinctive protective actions taken by a mother in a moment of unimaginable desperate trauma.
In 2019 when the Duke & Duchess of Sussex visited Cape Town the story of local student Uyinene Mrwetyana, 19, who was raped and murdered led to huge demonstations. Meghan released a photo on Instagram of her tying a yellow ribbon with a private message to the victim amongst the sea of ribbons that already festooned the post office which became a shrine
‘No parent should be forced into a position to have to physically intervene to keep their child from harm and we must ensure our communities are safe places for them to grow’.
The incident follows a string of recent cases involving gender-based violence in South Africa.
In 2017 a woman became known as the ‘Lion Mama’ after she stabbed three men she caught gang-raping her daughter, killing one of them.
Nokubonga Qampi received a phone call in the early hours in the same village of Cacadu as the above rape case telling her that three men were taking turns having sex with her daughter, 27.
Brave Nokubonga, then 57, got no reply from the police and said later: ‘I was the only one who could help her and I was very scared but it was my daughter so I picked up a knife.
‘When I got into the house I could see from the light of my torch one man raping her and two men stood with their trousers round their ankles to take another turn with her.
‘The saw me and rushed me and it was an instinctive reaction to protect my daughter with my knife and I do not want to talk about what happened in that room again’, she said.
Uyinene Mrwetyana (pictured) was attacked and killed at a post office in Cape Town in 2019
The woman then dubbed ‘Mama Lion’ for ‘protecting her cub’ was charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder but all charges were dropped by the NPA after reflection.
The two surviving rapists were sentenced to 30 years each at Cacadu Magistrates Court in 2018 and her daughter Siphokaze waived her right of anonymity to praise her brave mother.
Between 2017 and 2018 there were 74 reported rapes in Cacuda – with many more too frightened to come forward – which the community say is ‘shocking’ in a population of just 5000.
In 2019 in Muhovhoya Village in Limpopo Province a 39-year-old man was set on fire and burned to death after being caught raping a disabled teenager, aged 17, collecting firewood.
Also in 2019 Veronique Makewana, 23, was charged with attempted murder for slicing off the penis of a man arrested for raping and murdering her daughter, aged 5, in Port Elizabeth.
After a huge public outcry the charge was reduced to assault and magistrates later freed her.
During the royal visit to South Africa by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle the same year the issue of gender-based violence was in headlines after new crime figures showed 125 rapes a day in South Africa.
Evil Luyanda Botha (pictured), 42, had targeted the student after he told her to collect a parcel she was expecting after closing hours
While the Duke & Duchess of Sussex – then working royals – visited Cape Town the story of local student Uyinene Mrwetyana, 19, who was raped and murdered led to huge demonstrations.
Angry protests were sweeping the Western Cape against gender-based violence and Meghan paid a private visit to the Clareinch Post Office where Uyinene was attacked and killed.
Thousands of ribbons were tied to the balcony of the post office as a memorial to the talented teenager who was raped then beaten to death with a set a scales weight by a post office worker.
Meghan released a photo on Instagram of her tying a yellow ribbon with a private message to the victim amongst the sea of ribbons that already festooned the post office which became a shrine.
Evil Luyanda Botha, 42, had targeted the student after he told her to collect a parcel she was expecting after closing hours.
He then raped her and beat her to death was jailed for life in 2019.
South Africa is one of the most dangerous countries in the world with 75 murders a day and 125 rapes reported.
Most involve territory and drugs wars in poor townships where life is cheap.
Although tourists are vulnerable to car-jacking and being held up and robbed or being pickpocketed there have only been 5 tourists murdered in 8 years – all in situations that were avoidable.
