Reeva foundation to join Wynberg bail protest

WOMEN’S groups led by the Reeva Steenkamp Foundation are organising a petition to prevent the bail application of the alleged murderer of a mother of three.

Vuyiseka Poni‚ 30‚ was stabbed to death in Westlake‚ Cape Town‚ on January 2.

Her estranged husband, Mzuvukile Poni‚ is due to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, the fourth anniversary of Reeva’s death.

The bail application will be met with fierce opposition from women’s rights groups including the Pink Project and the Progressive Women of Westlake‚ who will be staging a protest outside the court.

“We want to show the family that Vuyi’s life was important and that these senseless killings against women must stop‚” Reeva Steenkamp Foundation spokeswoman Kim Martin said.

“We have been given a platform through Reeva’s voice and will use it to create awareness and bring as much attention to cases like this as we can.”

Former Port Elizabeth model Steenkamp was shot to death by her sports celebrity boyfriend Oscar Pistorius on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

Poni’s best friend‚ Nicole Elliot‚ said the community was in shock after Poni’s violent and sudden death.

She said Poni had been in the process of getting a divorce.

“They hadn’t been living together for several years‚” Elliott said. “He moved to Joburg.

“We’re trying to get as many signatures as possible,” she said of the petition. “But it’s more about getting people to feel like they can say something and have a voice.

“A lot of people have been affected by this and the petition gives a chance for the community to say that it’s not OK. It would be nice to get 1 000 signatures. We’re on about 700 now.”