Dimakatso Ratselane’ stabbing puts back on the spotlight yet another case of intimate partner violence
On Saturday 12 December 2021, South Africans woke up to news reports from the media concerning the brutal stabbing of Dimakatso Ratselane allegedly by her husband. Ratselane an employee of Lesedi FM was found in Manguang with multiple stab wounds and was left for dead. She could not even speak at the time she was discovered.
Her stabbing brings back the spotlight on the issues of gender-based violence particularly intimate partner violence (IPV). During 365 Days of Activism in 2021 the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) will continue to use various fora or platforms to highlight the worrying and increasing numbers in intimate partner violence and killings.
The Commission has also noted media reports that the alleged perpetrator has fled the country to Lesotho. If this is true, we call upon the South African Government to use all the diplomatic channels and various Southern African Development Corporation (SADC) treaties and protocols to ensure that he is arrested and extradited back to South Africa. As part of our Constitutional and Legal Mandate the Commission will be monitoring this case in ensuring that both the accused and the survivor receive a fair trial.
The Commission’s court monitoring processes of various gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence cases has convinced us that a speedy conclusion of cases of gender based violence can be realised, and it is for this reason that we hope that the same occurs in the Ratselane; hence we encourage the public and family of Ratselane to stay put and allow the law to take its course.
We once again implore South Africans to join hands as part of the 365 Days of Activism to continue raising awareness and advocating against the scourge of gender-based violence. The Commission condemns any kind of gender-based violence committed regardless of the gender of the person who commits it. We hope that people will start learning alternative ways of resolving conflicts as an ethos without resorting to violence.
Enquiries:
Javu Baloyi
Cell: 083 579 3306
