Durban – A political party has brought to light the alleged abuse of a husband by his policewoman wife of 12 years.
The IFP said on Thursday it had learnt with shock and concern of a case of abuse, allegedly by a wife against her husband.
IFP community safety and liaison spokesperson Blessed Gwala said this type of brutality was eye-opening. Images provided by the victim revealed an urgent need for dialogue around violence perpetrated by women against men in the country.
“We can no longer ignore this sad reality, which seems to have silently invaded our communities. Although incidents of this nature are rarely reported, in comparison to violence against women, this latest incident leads us to believe that KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa at large are sitting on a ticking time bomb. What is even more worrying is that if actions of this nature are not dealt with, our country will never win its battle against GBV,” Gwala said.
He said that the victim, whose name cannot be revealed to protect his identity, approached the IFP leadership seeking help and claimed that his wife had beaten him on several occasions.
According to him, the abuse had been reported to both their families but continued unabated. He revealed that in one incident, his wife had hit him with a firearm on the forehead, causing an open wound, which was visible in one of the images he shared with the IFP, Gwala said.
“More horrifying is that the victim's spouse – the wife perpetuating the abuse – is an SAPS member who serves in an eThekwini police station. According to the victim, he was forced to apply for a protection order after his wife badly injured his private parts,” Gwala said.
Based on the victim’s account – and corroborating images – of the abuse, the IFP called on Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Peggy Nkonyeni to intervene swiftly, he said.
“We would also like to know if the MEC has any plans in place to protect men who have been abused by women. Nkonyeni should make sure that this perpetrator is arrested within 24 hours for her barbaric actions, especially considering that she is a member of the SAPS. She has sworn an oath to treat every person with respect: she should be the one protecting the victim, not causing grievous bodily harm,” Gwala said.
The IFP said it would start a dialogue so that men who are abused by their wives can speak out.
Daily News