Scarred for life in horror rape ordeal
Victim tried to fake her death to stop a vicious stabbing frenzy
A PHILIPPI, Cape Town, rape survivor abducted by a man who followed her to a shop tried faking her death in the hope that her attacker would stop stabbing her while she helplessly lay next to a pile of rubbish.
When that did not work, 25-yearold Grace Mafadu screamed more for help and thanks to a resident not far from the scene, she was found following the horrific attack, which left her with “scars of her life”.
She sustained severe stab wounds all over her body, including to her neck, stomach and hands.
Mafadu recently spoke out about the attack on October 26 last year, allegedly at the hands of the man arrested over the murder of 19-yearold Amahle Quku.
Mafadu believed that if it was not for Amahle’s killing, 25-year-old Leonard Mzingeli would have never been arrested for also attempting to kill her as police “dragged their feet”.
She decided to speak out to encourage other victims of gender-based violence to share their stories.
Recalling the incident, Mafadu said she was at her boyfriend’s place when a man known as Mzi and his friend came for drinks.
She went to a spaza shop at around 10pm when she realised that someone was following her.
When she looked back, her attacker allegedly tripped her and held a knife to her throat.
Just like Mafadu, Amahle, 17, was at a friend’s house with two young males they know. Mzingeli, according to Amahle’s friends, asked her to accompany him to buy a few things at a nearby shop. They never returned to the house. The following morning, residents found the Grade 11’s naked body in an open field.
Mafadu said she tried fighting the man off but he overpowered her.
“While he was doing this, he also started trying to slit my throat but I was fighting him off. He started swearing at me. When I asked what was going on, he closed my mouth and told me to go with him to his house.
“He pulled down my pants and started raping me.
“As he finished, I tried to run but I could not because my underwear and pants were on my ankles. I shouted and banged on people’s houses but no one came out. I continued to run and he was stabbing from behind.”
She said she ran out of energy and faked her death, hoping he would stop, but her attacker then stabbed her three more times on her body and hand.
When she screamed and shouted for help, a man walking not far from where the incident took place came to her rescue and arranged for her to be rushed to hospital. Her attacker then ran away, she said.
“I was admitted to Mitchells Plain Hospital where a lot of people arrived to assist me. A psychiatrist and social workers were there. I could not walk. I had tubes in my body draining blood clots. I was in pain. I know they used swabs and other stuff. I was asked to bring the clothes I was wearing,” she said.
She was discharged from hospital on November 1.
“I was waiting for a call from the investigators but nothing happened… at least to know if the suspect was arrested or not.”
Police spokesperson Andre Traut said a 25-year-old female reported a rape case to Nyanga police on June 27, which was allegedly perpetrated on October 26, 2019. “Our investigation led to the arrest of a 24-year-old suspect who was in custody on a murder charge. The suspect is scheduled to make a court appearance in Wynberg next week,” Traut said.