Life will never be the same again for 25-year-old Nikita Kalubi, a woman from Somerset West in Western Cape who had her eye removed recently.
According to Kalubi’s mother Xoliswa Kalubi, her daughter now has to adjust to having one eye after the other lost sight completely.
This after Nikita was attacked by a man who threw a brick at her face, leaving her with one eye and her nose bone fractured.
Speaking to Sunday World recently, the victim’s mother informed the publication that on the day of the incident, her daughter had gone out with her boyfriend.
A man she had seen on the streets and who had made advances on her approached and hit her with a brick.
“Nikita did not know the man personally, however, she would see him from time to time on the streets and he would make advances on her, which she rejected,” said Xoliswa.
“On the day of the attack, the man did the same thing and her [Nikita’s] boyfriend who was with her told him off.
“As if that was over, the man left and waited for them [the lovebirds] on the route they took home. That’s when he threw a brick at her.”
Xoliswa said when she received a phone call informing her about the attack, she did not anticipate that the damage would lead to her child losing an eye.
“I have stopped counting the number of times that we’ve had to rush to the hospital because of the pains that are sometimes unbearable for her,” said Xoliswa.
“This has also been financially frustrating because of how expensive medical care is.”
She shared that her daughter had dreams of following a career in the beauty and influencing space.
“That will no longer happen because that man hurt my child. I have to be there for her and make sure that she heals and regains her self-confidence.
“People always inform us that the perpetrator is seen living his best life. This has made me see how much the police have a zero sense of urgency.”
Speaking on behalf of a non-profit organisation that educates, advocates, and campaigns on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), Women For Change chairperson Sabrina Walter said fighting the GBV pandemic requires a lot more than campaigns.
“Last month was women’s month and we closed it off with many cases of GBV being recorded, only emphasizing a lack of action against it or rather the tolerance of GBV in our communities,” said Walter.
“Women’s month has no meaning anymore, we are tired of empty words and campaigns – we want action.
“As a nation, this serves as an over-escalating warning sign that requires the country as a collective to pause and take notice of.”
She revealed that the organisation has launched a campaign to raise donations for Nikita’s treatment.
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