A Mother's Instinct

This Eastern Cape mother, dubbed Lion Mama, bravely took on three men who were allegedly raping her daughter. She tells us what happened on the night she stabbed one of them to death

- Johnny Issaac

SHE’S become something of a national hero, and her story made headlines around the world. People from far and wide offered their help, wanting to do what they could to keep her from being locked behind bars. Lion Mama, as she’s been dubbed, faced an uncertain future after stabbing the men who were allegedly raping her daughter. One of them died from his wounds, which meant she could’ve been charged with murder.

But today Lion Mama, who can’t be named to protect her child’s identity, breathes a sigh of relief when DRUM speaks to her. A heavy burden has been lifted from her shoulders after the National Prosecuting Authority withdrew the murder charge and two counts of attempted murder she had faced.

It was self-defence, they declared, which means she won’t spend a day in prison.

But the 56-year-old Eastern Cape widow still has to bear the burden and consequences of what happened that fateful night she burst into an unoccupied house in Zwart water near Komani.

She’s struggling to come to terms with the fact the man she killed is a distant relative. “His mother and I are like sisters because we’re from the same clan,” she tells DRUM.

“I’ve been hearing rumours his family is plotting revenge, but no one has said anything to me directly and we haven’t spoken since the incident.”

THE incident she refers to is, of course, her 27-year-old daughter allegedly being raped by the men Lion Mama stabbed.

She remembers that night like it was yesterday. Lion Mama received a distressing call in the early hours of 2 September from her 82-year-old mother, who lives near her in Qumbu village and whom her daughter had been looking after.

Come quickly, the gogo told her – your child is being gang-raped in a nearby village. Children from the area had braved the night to walk to her house and inform her of their suspicions.