A 24-year-old woman from Philippi, Cape Town, narrowly survived a brutal attack by her boyfriend last month. The assault, which took place on Friday, October 4, occurred after she asked why he wasn’t going to work. Enraged, the boyfriend allegedly slapped and berated her, claiming she wanted to control him.
The boyfriend, a 28-year-old man who is now on the run, escalated the violence later that night. The woman reports he accused her of wanting him out of the house to bring other men to his shack. She describes how he punched her repeatedly before beating her with a safety shoe, leaving her face severely swollen. By morning, her eyes were swollen shut, and she struggled to open them.
Since the incident, the boyfriend has attempted to bribe her, offering R800 per month to avoid legal consequences. “I’m not going to allow that. He must pay for what he did,” the victim stated.
Her 20-year-old cousin, who took her to the clinic for treatment, expressed deep sadness over the attack. “I broke into tears when I saw her injuries,” she said.
The suspect has reportedly fled to the Eastern Cape. According to police spokesman Captain Frederick Van Wyk, a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm has been opened at Nyanga SAPS, and investigations are ongoing.