guard
Paul Kirk
KwaZulu-Natal women’s groups reacted with outrage this week when the wife of one of the premier’s bodyguards could not find a police officer willing to arrest her husband for violating a domestic violence interdict.
Inspector Kenneth Ndlovu, one of Premier Lionel Mtshali’s bodyguards, appeared in court this week on charges of contravening the provisions of an interim protection order granted in favour of his common-law wife.
Women’s groups are incensed that, despite the fact that a warrant for his arrest was issued in terms of the new Domestic Violence Act nearly a month ago, Ulundi police have refused to execute it.
Ndlovu, a police VIP protection unit member stationed at Ulundi, is alleged to have beaten his wife on a number of occasions and is also alleged to have thrown her and their three small children on to the streets with the threat that he would kill her if she ever returned.
In terms of the Domestic Violence Act, Ndlovu’s common-law wife has the same status as a partner in marriage. She is also entitled to police protection once she obtains an interim protection order.
Ndlovu’s wife obtained an interim protection order from the Ulundi courts – but found it was a worthless piece of paper. Once the order was served on Ndlovu he completely ignored it and continued to abuse her.
Despite relating this to Ulundi police, they refused to arrest Ndlovu, apparently because they feared the inspector’s alleged violent nature. Despite the provisions of the new Act, all the wife’s attempts at seeking police intervention came to naught until she complained to Cookie Edwards of the KwaZulu- Natal Network on Violence against Women.
Edwards said this week: “When I heard the story I contacted Commissioner Tom Reed who arranged for police from another station, from Stanger, to take over the matter. They did so and [Ndlovu] has now finally appeared in court.”
Inspector Mike Harris from Stanger police station said it was alleged that, after being served an interim protection order, Ndlovu broke the conditions of the order by throwing his common-law wife out of the family home with her three children. “It is also alleged that he threatened to hire a hit squad to kill her should she return,” said Harris.
Edwards said the Ndlovu case was not the only one where the justice system had failed to deliver on promises made in the Domestic Violence Act. “We had a meeting recently where the Violence Act came up. In a number of cases women are simply being turned away by police and the courts who are legally obliged to help them. There is a high level of ignorance regarding the Domestic Violence Act. Most policemen unfortunately have no idea what it is all about.”
Ndlovu’s case has been remanded until February 9.