Cop who was abused by Momberg: 'What she did really belittled me'
Constable David Mkhondo, 30, the police officer at the receiving end of former real estate agent Vicki Momberg's racist tirade, said he had never felt as belittled as he did on that night in February 2016.
Momberg, who was convicted of crimen injuria and sentenced to an effective two years in prison on Wednesday, was caught on camera using the k-word nearly 50 times after Mkhondo tried to help her following a smash-and-grab incident.
"That is the worst, worst thing that has ever happened to me. You get those people who make comments about the police, but they don't go as far as insulting us and calling us the k-word," Mkhondo said.
"That night in particular, I was shocked and surprised that in this time we are living, there are still people who behave in this manner with so much anger," he said.
"But when she carried on and on and on, that's when I became angry. I managed to keep cool. In a way, I did not want to come out second best."
Magistrate Pravina Raghoonandan, delivering the sentence, said an example had to be made of Momberg because of the continuous impairment of human dignity in the attack.
Mkhondo, who had been following the case since day one, said he was happy with the sentence imposed on Momberg.
"That case really affected my self-confidence because what she did really belittled me. Sometimes it is still difficult to carry on with this job because you don't know how people are going to react when you approach them."
Mkhondo, who is married with two children, said he would have been more traumatised if he hadn't received all the support he did.
'I have forgiven her'
"I have forgiven her. It was not easy, but I got support from my wife, family, friends and colleagues. It would not have been possible if it was not for their support," he said.
Prosecutor Yusuf Baba, who argued that Momberg should be sentenced to imprisonment, said: "Harsher sentences must be meted out because of the abuse that takes place on a daily basis."
Mkhondo said he had forgiven Momberg a long time ago because he believed that justice would run its course and that the system would punish her.
"Yesterday (Wednesday) at court, she did not show any remorse or anything. The court will play its role. The prosecutor, Yusuf Baba, I think he did really well," Mkhondo said.
