Zizipho Nikita Kalubi, a 25-year-old woman from Somerset West, was assaulted with a brick after she allegedly rebuffed a man’s advances in Khayelitsha. Kalubi sustained a fractured nose, and her eye was so badly damaged by the impact that it had to be removed.
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According to the Cape Argus, the encounter occurred last Saturday at approximately 2pm as Kalubi was returning from running errands with her boyfriend. They crossed paths with the alleged perpetrator, a man she had seen only a few times in Khayelitsha Town Two who had been persistently harassing her.
‘As a young woman, I’m not a stranger to how men can harass you, so when he started saying, ‘Hey sexy, I want you’, making his crude remarks, I ignored it and continued to walk with my boyfriend,’ she told the Cape Argus.
On one occasion, he even attempted to touch her, but she never expected him to escalate his actions with her boyfriend present.
As they continued walking, the man reappeared in front of them, and this time, Kalubi could not ignore the immediate threat. He struck her in the face with a brick, causing her to fall back and lose consciousness.
Kalubi has no memory of what transpired immediately after the attack. She regained consciousness while being rushed to Khayelitsha Hospital, where her injuries were treated and stitches applied before she was transferred to Tygerberg Hospital for further medical attention.
Medical professionals at Tygerberg Hospital delivered the grim news to Kalubi, informing her that her left eye had been severely damaged and would need to be removed. She also had a fractured nose.
In pursuit of a second opinion, her mother took her to Vergelegen Hospital in Somerset, where they received the same distressing diagnosis: her left eye needed to be removed.
On Tuesday, Kalubi underwent surgery to remove her left eye. She is currently in the process of healing before she can be fitted with an artificial eye.
Khanya Qonqo, the founder of the Harare Community Action Network (CAN), expressed deep concern and empathy for Kalubi’s ordeal.
She emphasised the urgency of addressing the issue of gender-based violence, stating, ‘As someone who advocates against the abuse of women and children, I was deeply touched by Nikita’s story about how, in just a twinkle of an eye, you can end up being part of GBV statistics. It is disgusting and sobering that, as women, we cannot peacefully walk to the shops, constantly living in fear of what could happen to us, and the fact that this happened during Women’s Month is so disheartening.’
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive issue of gender-based violence and the urgent need for measures to ensure the safety and security of women in our communities.
The police did not respond to the Cape Argus’s requests for comment.
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