Member of Parliament, Sanele Zondo, has been accused of GBV by his second wife, whom he reported missing this week. The Inkatha Freedom Party has placed their Youth Brigade (IFPYB) chairperson on special leave over the GBV allegations.

GBV ALLEGATIONS

This comes after his second wife, Simenyiwe Dlomo-Zondo, who was reported missing, made allegations of physical and emotional abuse against the politician. In a social media live yesterday, Simenyiwe said she was not missing but hiding from Zondo. Simenyiwe disappeared last Friday after she told her family that she was going to Richards Bay for shopping. Her estranged husband, through the IFP, issued a statement asking the public for help to locate his wife and reported her missing to the police. The statement has since been deleted from the IFP website. Her father, Nkosinathi Dlomo, told ZiMoja on Tuesday that he believed that his daughter went missing because of her estranged husband.

PLACED ON SPECIAL LEAVE

IFP National spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said that Zondo was being placed on special leave amid the serious allegations of abuse and gender-based violence levelled against him.

"The IFP noted with relief on Wednesday that Mrs Simenyiwe Dlomo-Zondo, the wife of IFP Youth Brigade National Chairperson, Sanele Zondo, has been located and is alive. However, in light of the serious revelations and allegations of abuse and gender-based violence, which have been levelled by Mrs. Zondo against Comrade Zondo, the IFP wishes to make the following announcements: Sanele Zondo is placed on special leave from all party roles and responsibilities with immediate effect and until further notice," he said. Hlengwa said that all IFPYB matters will be handled by the office of national secretary of the IFPYB in the meantime.

"During this period, Comrade Zondo is expected to attend to his personal and family matters. With regard to the allegations made by Mrs Zondo, the IFP believes that the relevant law enforcement agencies must deal with these allegations. The IFP NEC will respond to media inquiries and update the public as and when it is necessary," Hlengwa said. He added that the party has always expressed its commitment, through its policies and manifestos, to true and meaningful women empowerment. We have pledged our support in the fight against gender-based violence. We therefore take this matter extremely seriously and wish to assure the public of our commitment to deal with this matter with the urgent priority and attention it deserves and requires," he said. 

FEARING FOR HER LIFE

Yesterday, Simenyiwe took to her social media pages and accused Zondo of threatening her life which led to her into hiding fearing for her life. "I have been quiet for a long time about the abuse I have been suffering at the hands of my husband. Ever since we got married, he has never treated me like one of his wives. The man couldn't spend a night with me. The only people who matter in his life are his mother and his first wife," she said. She also claimed that Zondo was abusing her because he wanted to pay lobola for a third wife and wanted her gone.