Denied Justice: Resurrecting The Voice On Silent Struggles!

The painful marriage of Moratiwa Segopotse Malatjie who was brutally raped by her estranged husband, financial abused, and emotionally battered.
Sis’ Mantoa, I met my ex-husband and we were deeply in love. We married traditionally. At the time, he was unemployed and living in poverty in the village. His family’s home was a mud-house. I was self-employed, selling vegetables, clothes, handmade shoes, scarfs and jerseys to our community. I earned a good income. I therefore purchased cement and building sand. I foroma the bricks myself with my own hands while my ex-husband was lazing around the compound.

I built a decent five-bedroom house for us and his family. My brother who worked in Human Resources at the mines, offered me a full time job added to my business, but I declined. I begged him to employ my ex-husband instead. Sis’ Mantoa, things turned sour when my husband started working. I fell pregnant and he immediately brought another woman into our home. I left him and returned to my family. I was feeling sick and depressed throughout my pregnancy due to the stress of infidelity he caused. I was pregnant for twelve months, unfortunately, I lost the baby. During my pregnancy, my business lagged as I was sick most of the time. My ex-husband never gave me a single cent. I had to rely on my mother’s business. After I lost my baby, I started building myself a three-bedroom home. While I was staying with my firstborn child, my ex-husband would often come and rape me.

He raped me multiple times in front of my child. In 2018, I decided to stand up against his dominant violent masculinity after painful and traumatic rape. My private organs were in pain. My leg was aching as I was kicking him trying to stop him from raping me. The rapes traumatised me to the extent that I am scared of any intimacy. Since 2018, I have preferred to be single. I am scared of intercourse. It reminds me of rapes.

What resources or support systems were instrumental in your traumatic journey?

“I dragged myself to the hospital, limping and in pain. I was admitted, cleansed, and given ARVs. I battled depression. The only time I had a session with a psychologist was when I was in hospital. When I returned home, I was alone, with no emotional support or follow-up counselling. I had to rely on my faith, praying alone for my healing. Here in the village, we don’t have psychologist or counselling services, which makes it even harder to cope with trauma and mental health.

 Have you encountered any challenges in seeking justice?

After I was discharged from hospital, I went to Mecklenburg Police Station, 50km away from the Village, to press rape charges. They assign the Forensic expert to gather evidence from the crime scene. The team indeed came quickly and took pictures of the unmade bed, the stained linen that had his semen, and just every piece of the evidence. Three days later, a team of three private investigators, including one woman arrived at my house. They judged me and said, “You’re bitter because you have separated from your husband and now you want revenge to take him to jail’.

They concluded that it was not rape, and asserted that it was consensual intercourse because I wanted love back from him. The evidence was there, yet I was told that I am bitter and jealous. My ex-husband was arrested and only to be released after two weeks! No explanation whatsoever offered to me. My rape case was never tested by the Courts of Law. Sis’Mantoa, my ex-husband came to my house, was it not a strong evidence for rape? Didn’t the Forensic expert’s evidence confirm the truth? Why was I hospitalised for injuries to my private organs if it wasn’t rape?

Any specific achievements since overcoming gender-based violence?

Since the Social Grant Pay-out was moved from our community to the Retailers in Town. My shoe-making and vegetable business suffered. The villagers prefer to shop from Chinese and Pakistanis owned stores in Town. I have empowered myself with the drivers licence. I am now looking for a job to transport the children to schools. Additionally, I am looking for the sponsor to help me buy a Combi to enable me to start my own transport business to provide safe and reliable services to school children.

In your opinion, are there any specific changes or initiatives you would like to see implemented within the justice system?

The police officers must stop judging women who press rape charges. They must start taking us seriously. They need to listen and trust women. We do not lie about rape. Rape is painful, a shame and stigma. It takes courage to report it. It is time for the justice system to believe women and support us, rather than perpetuating harmful biases and stereotypes.

• Case No: 157/07/2018.
• Police Station: Mecklenburg Limpopo

Recommendation

Sis’ Mantoa added her name to the database of empowerment.