North West Premier Thandi Modise has called for the suspect arrested in connection with the rape and murder case of mineworker Pinky Mosiane not to be granted bail when he appears in the Rustenburg Magistrates court for a bail hearing today.

The suspect who was arrested after being on the run for nearly two years

The body of Pinky Semakaleng Mosiane was found underground at Anglo Platinum’s Khomanani mine in North West on February 6 in 2012.

Initial investigation revealed that she had been gang raped and killed afterwards.

“Though we deplore that it took two years to arrest the suspect and that failure to arrest perpetrators promptly might contribute towards escalation of sexual violence incidents as people think that they could get away with it, we nonetheless congratulate our police service for the breakthrough in the case. We wish to reiterate our call for stiff sentences possible for perpetrators of this horrendous gender based violence,” said Premier Modise, who has repeatedly made a plea for the arrest of the suspect in the case. Her latest plea for the arrest was on Sunday last week, just three days before the police’s breakthrough.

The 32-year old suspect was arrested on Tuesday this week in Hoopstad in the Free State, after eluding the police for nearly two years.

Police say the suspect was employed a private company as an underground safety officer at the time of the brutal rape and murder.

“We trust that police would expedite their investigations and round up all those who were allegedly involved, so that the Mosiane family finds closure in knowing that those who have robbed them of their loved one are behind bars,” stressed the Premier.

“We want the law enforcement authorities to send a stern warning to would-be perpetrators by making examples of the perpetrators, as a way to curb the spate of attacks on women working underground,” said Modise.

She said that the province needs to go back to mobilise women to protect themselves and remind them that their work to transform society is not over.

Last week Modise called on mines to develop strategies that will safeguard the safety of female miners.

The arrest of the suspect in Pinky Mosiane’s case comes just few days after the arrest of a 29-year-old man in connection with the murder of another woman working underground at Aquarius platinum mine’s Kwezi shaft in Rustenburg.

Premier Modise said that there is no place in our society for men who perceive women as sexual objects to the extent that they cannot work together without posing a danger to them.-TDN
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