BY ERIC MATOME KGOMO
GROBLERSDAL: Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM) has condemned acts of violence implicating one of their senior official Mpho Maepa, following altercation and assault acts he committed on a female victim in Groblersdal. The assault was captured in a video showing Maepa harassing and slapping a woman at a Groblersdal Mall parking space. The video has since gone viral on social media. “The Sekhukhune District Municipality has learned with disgust about a video on social media, in which a female is being harassed, insulted and seemingly assaulted, by a male employee of the municipality,” said SDM Spokesperson, Moloko Moloto.
Moloto indicated that, even though, the incident happened outside the workplace, and that the victim is not a municipal employee, the district municipality still, does not take kindly to it. “First, we confirm that the male who is captured in the video is indeed a senior official who recently acted as chief financial officer of the district municipality. Secondly, the district municipality is disgusted and disappointed that one of its officials perpetuates gender based violence, a social ill that has become an intolerably painful affliction in our country,” he said.
Moloto informed that the district municipality has held campaigns against gender based violence, and the Executive Mayor Cllr Keamotseng Stanley Ramaila has repeatedly encouraged victims of GBV to speak out.
“Therefore, the municipality applauds the victim for speaking out. While the victim indicates on social media that she has lodged a formal complaint with the South African Police Services, a decision the municipality applauds, the municipality will, as the employer, get to the bottom of this matter, with a view of taking appropriate action,” explained Moloto. He pleaded that the complainant is urged to get in touch with the municipality to assist with the internal investigation. “Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the scourge of gender based violence a second pandemic which all South Africans must fight against,” he said.
Moloto stressed that SDM will not tolerate any conduct that seeks to undermine efforts to rid our society of gender based violence. Economic Freedom fighters (EFF) Councillor in SDM, said the opposition condemn the official’s GBV acts with strongest possible terms. “The official should be suspended immediately. We can’t stand for immoral acts against women perpetuated by a public figure,” he said.
Maloba said the party will support the victim and make sure that the implicated official is held accountable and face the full might of the law.