A Table View man who was "taught not to hurt women" will be receiving a special award at the Gauteng Department of Social Development's SA Men of the Year ceremony for coming to the rescue of a woman who was being raped.
Next month's awards recognise positive male role models and was started as a national campaign against gender-based violence in 2015. The campaign has previously honoured luminaries such as advocate George Bizos and Bruce Fordyce.
However, due to a restricted budget the department is primarily focusing on Gauteng but thought Radius Masukume, 49, was deserving of being honoured.
While the department is able to pay for his accommodation, it is hoping that someone could sponsor Masukume's flights for the November 27 ceremony.
The Facebook group Keep the Energy, which focuses on gender-based violence, has also helped raise nearly R50 000 – with a goal of R100 000 – for the self-employed Masukume, who had teeth knocked out and was left with knife wounds on his face.
Masukume said he was walking to work across a field at about 5pm on October 10 when he heard a woman crying out.
“At first I didn’t see where she was. When I reached her, one guy was already raping her. Another was standing beside them watching.
"As I approached, a third guy I was not aware of stabbed me from behind. I fell to the ground and fought him. He stabbed me in my face and head four times.” Masukume said the suspects then fled towards Dunoon.
“I ran to the road to ask for assistance, then luckily a police van stopped.
“The woman was traumatised and crying; those men had also stabbed her in the back. Fortunately, our wounds were not too deep. The woman was walking home, coming back from work when she was accosted.”
Radius Masukume Photo: Facebook
Masukume was taken to Dunoon Community Health Centre and discharged the same day, while the woman was transported to Victoria Hospital.
The father of six, who is recovering well, said: “At the time of rescuing her I really didn’t think of what could’ve happened to me. I couldn’t look the other way knowing I also have children.
"That is someone’s mother and back at home in Zimbabwe I was taught not to hurt women.”