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The North West MEC for Social Development, Basetsana Sussana Dantjie, has called for sterner action against a man accused of serial abuse and the murder of a 15-year-old girl in what is believed to be a gender-based violence (GBV) related incident in Verdwaal, near Lichtenburg.
In her statement, Dantjie expressed deep concern and outrage over the repeated abuse that went unreported, ultimately culminating in the young girl’s tragic death. “We have, with heavy hearts, learned that the abuse was on a regular basis, but it was never reported. It is extremely shocking that this alleged murderer had a tendency of letting his fists do the talking, as he has at one stage allegedly punched the sister of the deceased. This could mean he abused the whole family, paralysing them into silence,” she said.
The relationship between the alleged abuser, aged 24, and the deceased 15-year-old girl highlights what Dantjie describes as “multi-layered abuse” that society seems to have normalized. “A 15-year-old girl cannot be in a love relationship with an adult. The age of the girl screams child, who was not supposed to be in a love relationship in the first place.”
The accused, a government employee, was arrested while attending his graduation ceremony in Gauteng. Dantjie expressed shock that both families of the deceased and the perpetrator were aware of the relationship, which reportedly began a year ago.
In light of the girl’s age, Dantjie pointed to the likelihood of statutory rape, an offense that she says must be added to the charges. “We must also ascertain the age of the father of the deceased’s child, who is not the alleged murderer, so that he must also answer for statutory rape.”
The young victim, a mother of one, succumbed to her injuries on 30 September 2024 at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital.
Dantjie further called on men to protect their families, rather than instilling fear through violence. In another disturbing case from Verdwaal, a stepfather is alleged to have burned a three-year-old child in a shack.
Social workers from the Department of Social Development have been assigned to provide bereavement counseling to the victim’s family. Additionally, the family will receive a social relief of distress package from the department.
Dantjie stressed the need for more programs targeting teenagers in Ward 8, Ditsobotla, which is emerging as a GBV hotspot. “It cannot be accepted that a 14-year-old becomes a mother, who drops out of school to look after a child,” she said, pointing to initiatives like Chommy and other youth-geared activities as crucial for addressing these social issues.
The MEC’s call for stronger action highlights the ongoing scourge of gender-based violence and the need for society to be vigilant and proactive in preventing further tragedies.
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