[Image: GetArchive]
The National Prosecuting Authority in the Eastern Cape has confirmed it might scrap the murder charge against a 44-year-old woman accused of killing the alleged rapist of her disabled daughter – if it’s proven she acted to defend her child.
The case has sparked outrage and a groundswell of public support, with Eastern Cape social development MEC Bukiwe Fanta stepping into the frontline. Fanta called the woman’s actions a “desperate attempt to protect her child from a violent predator” and pledged to stand by her side in court on Tuesday, per SowetanLive.
Fanta’s office also revealed she’s taking the fight straight to the NPA, drafting a formal letter demanding the case be reviewed through a lens of “compassion and understanding.”
NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali confirmed the case has now been escalated to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for deeper scrutiny, following the woman’s claim that she was fighting for her daughter’s life.
“If it is proven that the mother acted to defend her daughter, we will consider it as a case of defence,” said Tyali. He noted that the NPA had seen Fanta’s statement, but were still waiting for her to make it official.
Allegations paint a grim and gut-wrenching scene: the Lady Frere mother reportedly walked in on a 65-year-old man and her 20-year-old disabled daughter getting dressed. When she demanded to know what had happened, her daughter allegedly pointed to her private parts.
Fury took over. The 44-year-old mother is said to have attacked the man on the spot, with locals quickly joining in. The alleged rapist didn’t survive the beating, and the mother was arrested, slapped with a murder charge, and hauled before court. She was released on R500 bail.
Fanta, unflinching, insists the case should be viewed against the brutal backdrop of South Africa’s gender-based violence crisis.
“Any parent faced with such a traumatic situation would likely act in a similar manner,” she said. “We must ensure that our legal system is designed to protect the vulnerable rather than punish those who act in defence of their loved ones.”
This isn’t the first time the Eastern Cape has witnessed a mother pushed to the brink. In 2017, the country rallied behind the woman known as “Lion Mama”, a mother who killed one of three men caught raping her daughter and wounded the others. The NPA eventually dropped the murder and attempted murder charges.
Back then, the mother had frantically dialed the police, only to be met with silence. With no help on the way, she took matters into her own hands.
“We have withdrawn the charges against her. The senior prosecutors declined to prosecute [the mother],” Tyali confirmed at the time.
More than 11,800 cases of rape were recorded between October and December last year. While this was a 3.3% reduction, the number is still staggering in a country where gender-based violence is prevalent.
“This case is not just about the actions of one individual; it reflects the broader societal issues of violence against women and children that we must confront as a nation,” Fanta said.
[Source: SowetanLIVE]
