Heartbroken community calls for Bheki Cele’s intervention regarding ongoing GBV

Gathering in front of the house where the body of Diki was discovered in Mandalay more than a week ago, the group expressed their feelings about the recurring acts of violence involving women and children. Picture: Supplied

Gathering in front of the house where the body of Diki was discovered in Mandalay more than a week ago, the group expressed their feelings about the recurring acts of violence involving women and children. Picture: Supplied

Published Feb 13, 2023

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Cape Town - Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo together with a group of women from Mandalay held a candle-lit walk honouring the life of the late Cleo Khanya Diki.

Members from community group Baphi Abafazi called for Bheki Cele to intervene.

Gathering in front of the house where the body of Diki was discovered in Mandalay more than a week ago, the group expressed their feelings about the recurring acts of violence involving women and children.

Baphi Abafazi movement member Nonzame Sili said: “This was a brutal murder. Cleo’s disappearance might not have been known by many, but what happened to her was uncalledfor. We are asking Bheki Cele to come and observe the situation by visiting her family.

“I pray that by the time he decides to show up – if he will – the shallow grave that Cleo was found in is still visible so that he can know how bad the situation is.”

Mbombo said: “The Department of Health gets to carry all the problems related to gender-based violence (GBV) When someone has passed on, we get to perform a post-mortem, and if they are still alive we also attend to them at the hospital. We have all the statistics because we collect the data; that’s why we ended up having violence-prevention units as part of health.

“As a mother, I believe that in the entire process of having to carry and raise a child, no parent wishes to bury their child. Therefore this is rather painful.

“What I am trying to highlight is that we are faced with two painful incidents here where one of the mothers is mourning the death of her child while the other is in pain because she did not plan for her child be a murderer,” said Mbombo.

NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said Sandile Jekwa, who is charged with Cleo’s murder, will appear again at Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court on March 23 for a bail application.

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