'Tormented on Facebook'

Image: Nongpimmy Free Digital Photos

Although Padayachee has been incarcerated at Westville Prison since Mbili was savagely assaulted and left for dead at a park in Phoenix, north of Durban, more than a year ago, the young mother told police she was still terrified of him.

Padayachee is accused of "striking [Mbili] with clenched fists, kicking and throttling" her until she lost consciousness.

Mbili was advised to lay a charge against Padayachee after telling the investigating officer that Padayachee had been contacting her daily for the past two weeks.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane confirmed a case of intimidation had been opened against Padayachee.

In her statement, Mbili said Padayachee had contacted her via messages on Facebook, and by cellphone and telephone since his arrest. She said the calls and threats had become more frequent.

"When he calls I put it the phone on speaker and record it. I do not respond. I do not respond to his social network messages or text messages either.

Threats made

"In the past two weeks, he said he was going to kill me and my baby," she alleged. Mbili was told to hand over the recordings, the printed Facebook messages and the text messages to the investigating officer.

Two weeks ago, the Department of Correctional Services said a series of raids at Westville Prison had netted almost 1,000 cellphones, porn DVDs, hand-made weapons and household appliances.

"He sent me airtime on Saturday saying I must sell it and use the money to buy a pie and Coca-Cola for my daughter because she turns three next week. I really don't know who to turn to. He just won't leave me alone," Mbili said.

Rajendra Nathalal, the attorney representing Padayachee, declined to comment.

The Commission for Gender Equality is due to talk to Mbili and the commission's provincial legal officer, Taryn Powys, said in terms of the Protection of Harassment Act No 17 of 2011 - which came into effect in April this year - an effective remedy would be to apply for a protection order.

"Harassment is any conduct, direct or indirect that makes a person believe harm may be caused. This includes text messages (sms), telephone calls, posts on Facebook, or even a person loitering outside someone's work or residential premises," Powys said.

Mbili obtained an interim protection order against Padayachee a month before the alleged assault last year, after he allegedly tried to kidnap his daughter.

He was out on bail when the assault occurred and he still faces a charge relating to an incident in which he allegedly tried to take his toddler daughter away and threw the child over a 4m-high gate.

A separate case of assault, relating to an incident in January when Padayachee allegedly grabbed a man, threw him down a staircase and hit him with a brick at a Phoenix sports bar, is expected to be added to the charge sheet.

Source: The Times via I-Net Bridge