The price of rape may be a tongue

In what has been described as an act of bravery, a 31-year-old woman put up an extraordinary fight and bit off part of the tongue of an attacker who tried to rape her.

The shocking incident occurred at Haluvhimbi, outside Thohoyandou, last Tuesday (24 September) at around 23:00. The woman, who may not be identified, said she had visited a tavern close to her home to enjoy a few drinks. On her way home, she heard footsteps behind her.

“Before I could figure out what was happening, a man grabbed me by the neck and started choking me. I tried to fight back, but it felt like I was fighting a losing battle. Before I could realise it, I was already down on the ground,” she said.

The woman said she realised that she was in danger of being killed right there. She pretended to have given up the fight and asked her attacker to just do what he wanted but not to hurt her. At that stage, her attacker had already unzipped his trousers and was trying to undress his victim.

“He started kissing me while also fondling me. That was when I regained my strength and, with a strong bite, I bit off his tongue while also grabbing his genitals. He became weak, and I managed to free myself and run away. He staggered to nearby bushes and disappeared," she said.

The victim then ran to nearby houses where she sought help. Accompanied by other residents, she returned to the scene, where they found the piece of the tongue and her phone that was left there.

“The whole incident has traumatised me. I am left with injuries, and I continuously sense the smell of blood. Whenever I drink water, I feel like there is blood in the water. I will never forget this ordeal, but all in all, I thank God for saving my life,” she said.

Community leader Mr Emmanuel Ndou, who is the deputy chairperson of the SANCO branch at Luvhimbi, said incidents such as this one were not common in the area. He described the woman as a hero for fending off her attacker.

“Even though we are impressed by the woman's bravery, we are equally concerned about the level of crime in the area. Just recently, two taxis were hijacked and taken to nearby bushes, where they were stripped. Bakeries are also being robbed on a daily basis. The worrying factor is that people from outside the area are committing these crimes and not locals. The alleged rapist is from Matangari and is not a local resident. This is painting a bad name on our village, but at the same time, it has taught us a lesson that all who come to settle here should be screened to avert the recurrence of this incident,” he said.

Vhembe SAPS spokesperson W/O Vuledzani Dathi confirmed the incident. “The suspect managed to run away from the scene, but on Thursday (26 September), Lady Luck forsook him when he went to Donald Frazer Hospital for medical treatment. He was then arrested. He has been identified as 28-year-old Mulalo Bika ‘Frazer’ of Matangari Tshivhuyuni,” he said.

The suspect appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court in absentia on Friday as he is still hospitalised and under police guard. His case was postponed to 7 October.

Date:04 October 2024

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019. He currently writes on a freelance basis, covering human rights issues, court news and entertainment.

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