Cops arrest relatives after assault pictures go viral on social media

A Soweto woman who was left with 18 stitches on her head after allegedly being brutally assaulted by her relatives believes her assailants would still be walking free had she not exposed her ordeal on social media.

Zama Shabangu, 25, posted gruesome pictures of her injuries while pleading for help to get the police at the Jabulani police station to arrest her 28-year-old cousin and his parents for allegedly attacking her on Thursday.

Shabangu tweeted on Saturday: "I wasn't Gona post this because I wanted to give the SAPS at Jabulani the benefit of the doubt, but yet again they disappoint me! My 28year old male cousin, his mother, and his father did this to me! [sic]"

By yesterday afternoon Shabangu's story had been shared more than 4,400 times, while influential social media users like lawyer Tumi Sole had assured her that the matter would be escalated to higher authorities.

Shabangu told Sowetan yesterday that she was glad that something was done about her case after her aunt and her husband were arrested on Saturday.

They were expected to appear before the Protea magistrate's court today.

Her cousin, however, was still allegedly on the run.

"I believe they were shook after seeing the reaction on social media. Twitter really helped me to get police to do their job," she said.

Shabangu said she decided to share her ordeal on social media because the police were giving her the run around and refusing to make arrests.

"I was afraid for my life. How did they expect me to go back to a house with the people who attacked me?" she said.

Shabangu recalled the incident, saying that she disagreed with her cousin over electricity. Shabangu, who stays in a backyard room with her disabled mother, said she raised concerns with her cousin after realising the electricity switch was tripping repeatedly.

She said she informed her cousin about the problem as she suspected that it was one of the appliances in his room but he took offence.

"He told me to f*** off and I asked him why are you swearing at me?" she said.

Shabangu said he charged at her and hit her with his fist while his mother held her to the ground.

"He was bashing my head with a wooden scrubbing brush while she held me down. I had no way of defending myself," she said.

Shabangu said her uncle then started pulling her braids out. She managed to escape the beating and stopped a police van which happened to be passing by her area, but the officers inside the van allegedly offered her a tissue to wipe off the blood and told her to see a doctor before reporting the case.

Shabangu said she decided to walk to the police station to open a case, but they refused to make arrests, saying that they could not act without a case number.

She said the police gave her a J88 form and she went to a private doctor who then referred her to a local hospital for a CT scan.

Doctors at the hospital confirmed that there was no damage to her skull and gave her 18 stitches.

"I still fear for my life because my cousin is still out there," she said.

Shabangu said this was not the first time her cousin had attacked her, saying that domestic violence was a problem in her family.

"I have to stay here because my mother is unable to walk and we cannot afford to move," she said.

Yesterday, provincial police spokesperson Mavela Masondo said two suspects aged 55 and 53 years were expected to appear in court on a charge of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.

Masondo denied that they had failed to handle Shabangu's case properly.

"Police managed to arrest the suspects within 48 hours. Police do not investigate cases through social media," Masondo said.