Residents in Philippi, Western Cape, have demanded justice for Busisiwe Mthethwa, 56, whose dismembered body was found stuffed in a chest freezer in her home on December 30.
According to her family, Mthethwa had been missing for two days before the gruesome discovery was made at her residence.
Her neighbours, who rent the same space in the same yard, had last seen her on December 29 at around 7pm, while her sister had last seen her on December 28 at around 3pm.
While there was a frantic search for Mthethwa, neighbours were woken up by her partner, identified as Brian Miripiri, who had been reportedly asking for assistance in selling the fridge and other belongings of Mthethwa.
Miripiri was apprehended and appeared in court today, where he asked for a Shona translator, which was not immediately available, and hence the bail was moved to January 30 while he remained in custody.
Tarisai Mchuchu-MacMillan, executive director of an anti-GBV non-governmental organisation, Mosaic, denounced the act, pointing out that the patriarchal masculinity that underpins the violence and abuse that women and children experience in their homes, relationships, and communities needs to change.
“We are outraged that a woman can be killed in their home by a person they love, among and within a community. We are certainly having more conversations around domestic violence and GBV, and we acknowledge the increase in awareness; unfortunately, it does not mean this type of violence is decreasing.
“The organisation works to prevent and reduce abuse and domestic violence by providing holistic, integrated services for the healing and empowerment of women through support services, access to justice, and training.
“The patriarchal masculinity that underpins the violence and abuse that women and children experience in their homes, relationships, and communities needs to change. We need individuals, couples, families, and community members to enrol in free workshops, training, and dialogues that are designed to equip people with life skills that lead to non-violent, peaceful homes, relationships, and communities,” said Mchuchu-MacMillan.
Mchuchu-MacMillan further explained that local officials collaborate on a multi-stakeholder platform called Safe in Philippi and other communities to fight GBV, with a particular focus on domestic and intimate partner abuse.
Safe aims to enhance the capacity of duty-bearers in governmental and non-governmental organisations to provide response and prevention services.
Through the platform, co-ordinated training, workshops, and dialogues with a focus on gender equality and skills development to help people challenge the harmful beliefs that normalise continued violence by men and boys against women and girls will be accelerated and amplified.
“We must ensure that tragedies like that of Busisiwe Mthethwa will not happen again in our communities. We must work to prevent perpetrators like Brian Miripiri, who use power and control against their partners and struggle to control their emotions and violent impulses where abuse ends up leading to murder,” said Mchuchu-MacMillan.
The Star