The family of gender-based violence victim Da Silva Gowases has handed over a petition to the Okahandja Magistrates' Court and the Okahandja Police Station. 

The petition follows a violent altercation early last year where a male suspect attacked Gowases with a panga, leaving her with deep lacerations across her body.

The attempted murder case opened against the accused was later withdrawn after the accused had opened a counter case, accusing Gowases of breaking in and trying to steal a cellphone.

She was attacked early last year in May, and the case was withdrawn on the 30th of June this year on the basis that it was self-defence. 

However, according to Gowases, she was attacked after having rejected advances from the accused.

Community members are demanding that the case be brought back to court and the accused be held to account for his actions, as Gowases is still physically and mentally affected by the incident. 

Brother of Gowases, Dennis Swartbooi said, "Today we stand with Ripuree Swartbooi, the biological mother of Da Silva Gowases, a woman crying, permanently scarred and with psychological trauma after a panga attack without her posing danger to anyone. This emotional or physical imprint has led to conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, causing unprecedented fear, flashbacks, or hyperventilation. Da Silva has also lost 50% of her eyesight and has screws in her head. Thus she continues to require further medical attention and might do so far the rest of her life."

Gowases' mother, Ripuree Swartbooi, says her daughter has not been the same after the attack, adding that she has been having mental breakdowns and gets easily frustrated.

Gowases is currently in jail facing charges of theft and is unable to pay the bail amount of N$3,000.

According to the mother, Gowases was supposed to go for an operation this month as a result of the attack but was kept in custody and never made it to the hospital.

"The doctor told her that she should go to the hospital on the fourth of August, and the officers said they would take her to the hospital. But they never took her because apparently there is no transport. Let them at least reduce the bail from three thousand or just give her back to us so we can take her to the hospital ourselves because she is going through a lot of pain."

The Station Commander at the Okahandja Police Station, Matheus Tjarimba, received the petition on behalf of the police and the Okahandja Magistrates' Court, stating that he will hand it over to the relevant authorities.