EFF statement on ANC MP Sibusiso Kula arrest for the brutal murder of his wife
22 January 2023
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes the arrest of ANC Member of Parliament (MP), Sibusiso Kula for the brutal murder of his 31-year old wife, Ms. Jennifer Motlhomi. Kula was arrested on Friday, 20 January 2023 and will appear before the Orkney Magistrate Court in North West on Monday, 23 January 2023.
He is accused of stabbing his wife to death in their home on 27 November 2022 Ms. Motlhomi's name was added to the senseless Initimate Partner (IP) femicide list and also reaffirmed the patriarchal culture that men turn their homes and the bodies of their women partners into crime scences. One in three (I in 3) women are murdered daily in South Africa by their initimate partner.
While the onslaught of women by men remains alarming, it is most disturbing that even in the Parliament of South Africa, the legislative arm of our country, the call to end femicide has fallen on deaf ears. In fact, this ANC MP, Kula, has made an absolute mockery of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in his rantings against GBV during Parliament plenaries. However, he is a reflection of the ANC Government's approach in addressing the deadly violence, rape and abuse by men against women hence the consistent alarming statistics in this regard.
Parliament of South Africa has a duty to uphold its dignity. It must diligently monitor its members. We call on the Speaker of Parliament to give intensive oversight to the Ethics Committee that is often found wanting in dealing with cases of abuse reported to it.
The arrest of Kula almost 2-months after the murder of Ms. Motlhomi is a reminder that high profile femicide cases are attended to with some degree of urgency by the South African Police Services (SAPS). However, the research brief by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) in October 2022 titled 'Decrease in Femicide in South Africa' concludes the following regarding the inadequacy of investigation by SAPS:
We found evidence of diminishing quality of police case investigation, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng provinces. There has been an increase in number of cases with perpetrators not identified during the investigation and no change in the basic case investigation information related to victims' experiences of previous IPV among women killed by intimate partners. This problem cannot be explained by burgeoning caseloads, as the number of murder cases investigated per year is much lower than it was in 1999 when investigations were seemingly more successful in identifying a perpetrator. Despite research highlighting for almost two decades the need to ask about previous IPV as pan of the case investigation, there is a continuing lack of awareness of gender-based motivations for the murder of women among police, and failure to prioritise these cases. This is of concem, given govemment's effons to improve policing and detective work. Efforts to improve case investigation over the last decade have clearly been inadequate. It is essential that this work is prioritised so that those who murder women are held accountable and appropriately.
The ANC Government has failed to put systems in place and provide adequate resources to investigate femicide.
The EFF sends condolences to the family, loved ones and community of Ms Motlhomi who was a well know community activist. Our GBV Desk will attend court to support the family closely and monitor proceedings. We call on the National Prosecuting Agency (NPA) to vehemently oppose Luka release on bail so as to send a clear message that only the harshest punishment awaits men who murder, rape and abuse women.
Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 22 January 2023
