A 25-year-old South African lady identified as Zizipho Nikita Kalubi has been hospitalized after she was assaulted by a man following her refusal to enter a relationship with him.
According to the 25-year-old lady, the unfortunate incident happened on Tuesday, August 26.
The victim stated that she was returning from running errands with her boyfriend when they came across the alleged perpetrator, a man she had seen only a handful of times in Khayelitsha Town Two, and he began harassing her.
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Speaking to newsmen on Friday, September 1, Nikita said the man started by catcalling her and making crude remarks, as he did every time he saw 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 stated.
He once tried to touch me, but I never thought he would be so bold with my boyfriend next to me. However, that day he only got worse and even walked up to us.
Kalubi said she doesn’t remember what happened immediately after the attack and woke up being rushed to Khayelitsha Hospital, where her wounds were cleaned up and she received stitches before being transferred to Tygerberg Hospital for further assistance.
On Tuesday, August 28, she underwent surgery to remove her left eye. She is now waiting for her wounds to heal before the hospital puts in place an artificial eye.
Commenting on Kalubi’s ordeal, Harare Community Action Network (CAN) Founder Khanya Qongqo said: “As someone who advocates against the abuse of women and children, I was deeply touched by Nikita’s story, 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.”