‘Attack on little girl is atrocious and extremely inhumane’
As KwaZulu-Natal marks the start of the new school year today, Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo has expressed his sadness that an innocent little girl will not be joining her peers to school due to an “atrocious and extremely inhumane” attack perpetrated against her.
The 10 year-old girl, who cannot be named, was raped, stabbed more than 20 times and left for dead in Inchanga, west of Durban in November 2014.
Dr Dhlomo visited the young survivor at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital this week, where she is going to be spending about a week for a throat operation. Surgeons briefed the MEC that the operation has been necessitated by the extended period in which the girl has been intubated. After this operation the girl will go back to her mother hospital, at RK Khan Hospital, where doctors say she will be spending a minimum of two more months.
“She’s much better now, and she plays with other children in the ward,” said Dr Dhlomo. “She’s stable and out of ICU, and that is comforting to see. I’m just sad that she won’t be going back to school along with the rest of the children. I have to register my absolute shock that someone could commit an atrocity like this. Acts such as these, perpetrated against defenceless women and children, are callous, barbaric and inhumane and really have no place in our society,” Dr Dhlomo said.
Dr Dhlomo, who is also chairman of the KwaZulu-Natal Men’s Forum, said it was high time real men condemned such attacks. “I call upon all the men of KwaZulu-Natal to stand up and say, ‘Not in Our Names,’ shall such heinous acts continue to be perpetrated against women, children or any member of society.”
Dr Dhlomo said it was hoped that the level of care the girl was receiving would help her recover to such an extent that she can begin to assist police who are investigating the attack on her. The perpetrator(s) is still at large.
Dr Dhlomo said he would be visiting the girl’s school in due course, in order to explain her condition to her teachers.
Today Dr Dhlomo, who is the champion of Amajuba District, is in the Madadeni area visiting schools. He is there to ensure that the school year starts on a good note, and that educators and learners are in classes doing school work, as per the directive from President Jacob Zuma.
For interviews with the MEC, contact:
Desmond Motha
Cell: 083 295 3901
