Cape Town – Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane paid a visit to artist Dr Esther Mahlangu who was allegedly attacked by an unknown assailant over the past weekend in her home at Siyabuswa near KwaMhlanga.
The 87-year-old Ndebele artist was left unconscious after she was physically assaulted before being robbed of her firearm and an undisclosed amount of cash.
According to TimesLive, Mkhwebane was accompanied by Ndebele artist Nothemba Mkhwebane together with women from their church congregation to comfort the “still in shock” Mahlangu.
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“It’s shocking and painful to see how violent this person was. The bruises on her [Mahlangu’s] face show how heartless the attacker was. We saw it fit that as women coming from KwaNdebele we needed to be here for Gogo. She’s our icon. She is such a world-renowned icon and is a national key point on her own. Her culture, knowledge and talent is so rich. It’s for the government to make resources available for her to be protected,” the report quoted Mkhwebane as saying.
Earlier, Mpumalanga Culture, Sport and Recreation MEC Thandi Shongwe condemned the attack and said that her department was “confident” that the alleged perpetrator would be brought to book.
“This act of criminality is condemned in the strongest possible terms, and it happens when the country is commemorating Human Rights month. People who attack the elderly are heartless and have no place in society. Such acts of violence on women cannot be tolerated. As a department responsible for the creative industry, we are confident that justice will be served in the arrest and conviction of the heartless criminals,” City Press quoted Shongwe as saying.
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Picture: Facebook/ Busisiwe Mkhwebane
Compiled by Odwa Shumi
