MBOMBELA - A 34-year-old man, seen assaulting a woman in a video posted to social media, appeared before the KwaMhlanga Magistrate’s Court on Friday on three counts of assault with the intention to cause grievous bodily harm. The incident took place on July 2. Police were notified and  the suspect was arrested. He has been identified as Thomas Jabu Manana, a teacher at a local high school in KwaMhlanga. He was released on R1 000 bail. 

WARNING: Not for sensitive viewers.

According to the 24-year-old victim, apparently the mother of Manana's child, an argument arose between herself and Manana, when she, accompanied by her sister, went to the suspect’s home to fetch her four-year-old daughter. As can be seen in the video footage, Manana used a wooden pole to beat the victim. According to a media release issued by Brig Leonard Hlati, the minor, as well as the victim’s sister, also sustained injuries during the assault.

The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lt Gen Mondli Zuma, said “As police we will not hesitate to arrest and lock up any perpetrator of gender-based violence (GBV). We are delighted about the arrest and we believe justice will prevail. Our courts stand ready to deal effectively with such matters," and continued “It is deeply regrettable that children are often exposed to a wave of violence perpetuated by their own parents, whom they are looking up to as their moral compass. People should not adopt violence as a method of resolving matters and this is a worrying phenomenon. Society should stand resolute against GBV and assist the police.”

Editor: Anchen Coetzee
PR submitted by: Brig Leonard Hlati