The plight of rural women who have been victims of abuse and attacks recently came into the spotlight at Mbhalati village outside Malamulele.
Ironically, the attacks that left the women with stitches after being raped and attacked come at a time when women the country over are celebrating their month.
After being attacked in violent incidents during the past week, the women have come out with chilling stories. They told the community leadership, led by headman Ernest Mathebula, that they were not able to sleep at night because criminals broke into their huts at night with the intention of raping, injuring or robbing them.
At least one woman was allegedly raped after she was forcibly removed from her house. She was also robbed of cash. The following day, she went to the Malamulele police station to open a case of rape. She was admitted to hospital on Sunday and discharged the following day. "I know one of the two people, but since reporting the case, the police have not come back to me and I am living in fear because the suspects know that I have reported the case," she said.
Another victim, Gracious Baloyi, is nursing stab wounds after she was also stabbed in the village by a suspect who wanted money. "I also know the suspects who accosted me, but the police said we should arrest the culprits," she said.
Ward committee member James Mathebula, who works closely with the traditional leadership, said they had now started night patrols in the village. He said they sent a delegation to the Malamulele police station to open cases against known suspects and also to ask the police to be visible in the area at night. The police promised to come but did not.
He said one of the suspects was a known notorious criminal from Tshimbupfe village in the neighbourhood who had run away from his community after committing a number of offences around that area.
Recently, the area had a prayer service organised by the local chief, Hosi Ackson Mdabula, after numerous bad incidents, including murder and car accidents, happened in the area over the past few years. Mdabula, with pastors and community structures, marched from Mdabula to Mbhalati, where they held a prayer service near a spot where five University of Venda students from the village died in an accident when the van they were in collided with a truck in December.
The service was held about 200 metres from the spot where, in 2010, the charred bodies of former well-known musician Moses Maringa and his companion, Eunice Maringa, were found inside Maringa's burnt-out car.
Six people, including a school principal and a café owner, were arrested and charged with murder, but the charges were later withdrawn, with the case being turned into an inquest. Malamulele police spokesperson W/O Alson Mapindani confirmed that several cases had been opened by people from the Mbhalati area. "The main suspect is a man from Tshimbupfe, who is on the run," he said.