ANGER OVER LESBIAN RAPIST STILL ON THE RUN

Activists in the Western Cape will stage a march next month demanding that police apprehend the man found guilty of brutally attacking a lesbian woman almost two years ago.

Andile Ngcoza was arrested for raping, beating and strangling Millicent Gaika over a five hour period in Gugulethu on 3 April in 2010.

Gaika, who survived the attack, told the Argus at the time: “I thought he was going to kill me; he was like an animal. And he kept saying: ‘I know you are a lesbian. You are not a man, you think you are, but I am going to show you, you are a woman. I am going to make you pregnant. I am going to kill you.'”

The then 43-year-old Ngcoza, who insisted that he had been in a consenting sexual relationship with Gaika, was eventually found guilty by the  Wynberg Regional Court.

However, in spite of the severity of the attack, he was out on a mere R60 bail and failed to appear in court for sentencing. He has not been seen since by the authorities and remains on the run.

Now, activists from Free Gender, a black lesbian organisation based in Khayelitsha, plan to march against the justice denied to Gaika.

On Saturday 2 February, they will be walking to the Gugulethu Police Station to hand over a memorandum to the authorities.

“We believe that if they were serious they would have arrested this person long-time ago,” said the organisation on Facebook, adding, “Wanted dead or alive, Andile Ngcoza deserves to have his day in court”.

Free Gender noted that there are rumours that Ngcoza may be in Paarl or TR in Khayelitsha and urged the community to let the police know if anyone comes across him.

The five kilometre march is planned to start at 07:00 just outside of Khayelitsha, from Luzuko township robots, Phillipi East to the Gugulethu police station. Free Gender has asked that support be given in the form of water and fruit for the marchers.

For more information go the Free Gender profile page on Facebook.