MEC MORWENG APPLAUDS POLICE FOR SUCCEFUL ARRESTS ON GBV RELATED CASES

North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management Wessels Morweng has applauded the police for their swift response and successful arrests on recent Gender Based Violence (GBV) related cases in the Province.

Morweng who is concerned about number of incidents that took place in short space of time, said police have worked around the clock to ensure that GBV perpetrators are put behind bars.

“The swift response of our members is satisfying. We need to always make sure that all these monsters are put behind the bars where they belong. They cannot be part of the society, and we trust on our judicial system that they will get a sentence that they deserve,” said Morweng.

Last month, two women lost their lives in Coligny and Moshana respectively at the hands of so called lovers or loved ones.

In Coligny on the 24 December 2024, a 34-year-old Binny King was killed by her ex-boyfriend Petrus Mvala who have already appeared twice at Lichtenburg Magistrate Court.
It is said that Binny was stabbed more than 15 times after being lured to a car by her ex- boyfriend.

She jumped out of the moving vehicle trying to escape from the attack and later died after injuries at the nearest clinic.

At Moshana Village near Zeerust, a 31-year-old Uturile Mekgwe was killed by her 22-year-old boyfriend Gorataone Molokwe.

According to the reports, the deceased confronted the alleged suspect at a nearby tarven on December, 30, 2024 and the confrontation led to physical fight, at which the pair went to an abandoned home where Molokwe strangled Mekgwe to death.

After realizing his action, he informed his family on new year eve and was arrested.

In Podimoe police station a case of murder was registered after a body of the 16-year-old girl was found in a shallow grave in Matlhako 2 village.

According to the information, the police were informed of possible murder on Friday, 10 January 2025, and this after a man reportedly heard a woman crying from a neighbour’s place on Thursday night, 09 January 2025. After that, the said neighbour and his friend were seen on Friday morning, pushing a wheelbarrow with something inside.

A search operation was conducted on the basis of the allegations, and this led the police and community members to what looked like a shallow grave where a wheelbarrow and a spade were also found next to a stream in the same village.

Following mobilisation of resources, the exhumation process started on Saturday morning, 11 January 2025. In the process, a body was discovered, wrapped with a blanket and positively identified by a family member (uncle) as that of Boingotlo Makaota, of Matlhako 2 village.

The two suspects, Phemelo Maine (40) and Onkemetse Phatlhanyane (27) appeared in court and were remanded in custody until their next appearance on 16 January 2025.

“I am making a call to most men to say when somebody terminate the relationship or no longer interested in the affair what is the point of being physical? why kill a person? I am also urging ladies to not keep quite when they notices signs of abuse or partners starting to be physical, report him to the police to safe your live because if you tolerate physical abuse, you will end up in the grave.”

“My concern is also loosing young people at the hands of this monster’s, we can’t continue like this and I am imploring the Pudimoe police for the succesful arrest of the suspects,” said Morweng.

MEC sends messages of condolences to the family of the deceased and promises to give GBV special attention as it leaves many families without their loved ones and others orphaned.

—ENDS—