By Meta Mphahlele
Police minister Bheki Cele has used the funeral of the university of Cape Town Uyinene Mrwetyana to call on to the police officers to pull up their socks when dealing with rape cases.
Hundreds of mourners filled the Abbotsford Christian Centre in East London to bid farewell to Mrwetyana 19, who was raped before she was killed by the post office employee.
Mrwetyana was allegedly bludgeoned by the post office employee with a post office scale. According to reports the Mrwetyana had gone to the Clareinch post office to collect a package and was told that the electricity was out and she should return later.
When she returned, the accused was the only person there. He apparently lured her in, offering to help locate her package, but instead of helping her, he attacked and raped her before killing her.
Cele has told police officers to stop asking women how they were dressed like when they come to the police station to report rape cases.
“When a woman come to the police station to report a rape case, don’t ask them what they were wearing. you are police officers and not fashion designers or advisors. Women must dress they way they want”.
“How women dress is their business. It is not your job to advise these women how they should dress”.
Cele also said the plan going forward is to train more female police officers to deal with rape cases.
He said the most difficult thing to do for a woman who was raped is to explain to gory details to a male police officers.
Cele further said another thing the police will look into is to protect university campuses and communities around those campuses.
Mrwetyana was laid to rest today at her hometown of Centane in the Eastern Cape.
