Mother stabs three men after she caught them gang-raping her 27-year-old daughter, killing one of them
A South African mother who was dubbed "Lion Mama" after she killed one man and inflicted serious injuries on two others after she caught them gang-raping her daughter was "delighted" after the two survivors were given lengthy prison sentences by a court.
According to the Daily Mail, the 57-year-old, whose real name has not been made public, was preparing an evening meal at her home in Swartwater in Eastern Cape last year when a friend rushed in to tell her that she had seen her 27-year-old daughter get snatched up by three men. The friend added that she had seen the men drag the victim into a building and strip off her clothes.
When a call to local authorities resulted in no immediate response, "Lion Mama" decided to take matters into her own hands. She reportedly picked up the kitchen knife she had been using to prepare the meal and set off towards her daughter's location, running for close to two miles as her friend pointed the way.
When she reached the house where her daughter was being held, she heard screams and rushed in, finding three naked men taking turns raping the 27-year-old. Enraged, the mother killed one of the men after repeatedly striking him with the knife before seriously injuring two others.
When paramedics arrived at the scene, they found "Lion Mama" comforting her daughter while the two men she had injured — later identified as 24-year-old Zolisa Siyeka and 31-year-old Mncedisi Vuba — lying in pools of their blood. The pair was taken to the hospital for treatment while the third man, identified as Zamile Siyeka, was declared dead.
The bravery the 57-year-old mother displayed that night earned her the nickname "Lion Mama", though she was soon harshly brought back to reality when it was announced that she would be facing charges of murder and attempted murder for the knife attack.
An outraged public banded together to raise close to £10,000 ($12,623) for her defense, with a lawyer even offering to represent her pro bono. But it would prove unnecessary, with the National Prosecuting Authority dropping the charges against her three weeks later.
She received further justice when the presiding judge Mbulelo Jolwana at the Mthatha High Court sentenced Siyeka and Vuba to 30 years behind bars, telling them that he would have given them a life sentence if it wasn't for the fact that "Lion Mama" had taught them a lesson by injuring them.
Speaking out after the hearing, the mother expressed her relief at the verdict and punishment. "I am happy about the judgment and relieved," she said. "All I want is for people who do wrong to be punished. The truth finally came out and even if it was my own child who had done a serious crime then I would want them to get punished for doing something wrong and bad."
She also thanked those who had shown her support through the past year. "It means there are a lot of people out there with good hearts who are on my side and I truly appreciate all the support we have got and it makes us strong," she said. "I would have thrown myself to a lion to protect my daughter and I am sure many mothers would have done the same. I hope this is a lesson people learn from."