A Hanover Park woman says she is living in fear after reporting a Cape Flats cop who allegedly raped her in a holding cell.
And she says while Constable Enkosi Matiwane from Grassy Park Police Station walks around a free man after being granted bail, she has been left traumatised.
The 29-year-old woman says she has been living like a prisoner in her own home after her alleged rapist came to her house THREE times.
Matiwane made his first appearance at Wynberg Magistrate's Court last Thursday after an investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) revealed that DNA evidence linked him to the semen found on the victim.
She says on 7 January 2016, she was arrested for shoplifting in Ottery and taken to Grassy Park SAPS.
“It was a Thursday night and when I got there, I asked them to call my parents,” she recalls.
She says they took her fingerprints and Matiwane allegedly introduced himself and said he was the officer in charge of the cells.
“He gave me a bag of clothes that my family brought and I just took a jacket out.”
She says as she tried to fall asleep, she heard a gate open and then felt pressure on her back.
“It was him, he was handcuffing my hands behind my back. I shouted, but he said, ‘shut your mouth before I shoot you’,” she explains.
“Then he raped me. When he was done he took it (his penis) out and slapped it on my face and said: ‘I am done now’.
“He didn’t use a condom. Then he cleaned himself up and left. The whole time he was staring in my face.”
The next day she appeared in Wynberg Magistrate's Court and was granted R500 bail.
Even though she could not remember Matiwane’s name, a relative took her to Philippi Police Station to report the rape.
“I was kwaad because she got arrested and locked her in the room,” the mother says.
“Afterwards a cop called me and said what happened (about the rape). I had no idea and I took her in just like that and that is how they got all the evidence (semen).”
The victim says in September last year Matiwane came to her house and she immediately recognised him.
“I know they said they had taken (DNA) samples from all the officers at the station and that is why it took so long (to investigate). That day when he came here he said his name and wanted to apologise. That is when I had his name.
“He came here two more times and told us he has a wife, children and a career and asked us to drop the charges.”
Her frustrated mother went to Philippi Police Station and told Colonel Dawood Laing they were being intimidated and earlier this year they were called to testify against Matiwane at his disciplinary hearing.
In February he was charged with rape and he is expected back in court on 29 April.
“I will never trust a police officer again. I am too scared to leave my house. I only trust Colonel Laing,” she says.