By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Orlando Pirates have confirmed they have suspended their midfielder Ben Motshwari after he was charged by the police on Monday.
“Orlando Pirates Football Club can confirm that it has suspended midfielder [Ben] Motshwari after being charged by police this morning. Mr Motshwari will remain suspended, pending an investigation,” said the club.
Fullview broke the story yesterday that Motshwari has been playing hide and seek with police officers. But He was expected to be handing himself yesterday or this morning so that he can be charged and appear in Randfontein court.
He was eventually arrested this morning,remanded in holding cells before he made his appearance in Randfotein court.
Fullview has in good authority that Motshwari was demanding the car that he gave to the girlfriend and domestic violence ensued.
Motshwari becomes the second Pirates star to be suspended to allow police investigation and charges against them to proceed.
Last year, Thembinkosi Lorch was charged for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, Nokuphiwa Mathithibala.
He was released after a settlement of R2000 bail before the charges were dropped in January 2021.
Motshwari was part of the team that took on and defeated Chippa United 3-1 in a league encounter on Saturday after he was introduced in the 81st minute.
His criminal case will be a blow for the team’s preparations for their crunch DStv Premiership encounter against champions Mamelodi Sundowns in Soweto on Saturday.
Meanwhile South Africa is facing a crisis when it comes to Gender Based Violence.
On Sunday evening,(12 September 2021) President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed concern at recent gender-based violence (GBV) incidents reported in the media.
“We have just finished Women’s Month, where we planned to celebrate the success of women in many fields. Instead, our country bore witness to several brutal attacks by men against women. This month alone there have been a number of terrible crimes committed against women and girls,” he said.
The President referred to the case of Fort Hare law student Nosicelo Mtebeni, who was murdered and dismembered in East London in the Eastern Cape. There was also an incident of a Grade 1 pupil from Khensani Primary School in Soshanguve, who was raped in the school’s toilets. The President also spoke of Palesa Maruping, who was found hanging from the ceiling of a house in Khuma Location in the North West as well as Pheliswa Sawutana, who was strangled to death in Kosovo informal settlement in Cape Town.
“These are just the cases that were covered in the media; there were others that were not. These gruesome acts of violence cannot go unpunished. They must strengthen our resolve to end gender-based violence in all its forms. We must strengthen our efforts across all fronts,” said the President.