Man Caught On Camera Assaulting Woman Outside Luthuli House Hands Himself Over To Police

The ANC says it has suspended the man who kicked the woman to the ground.

The man accused of assaulting a woman during protests outside Luthuli House on Monday has handed himself over to the police, Eyewitness News (EWN) reported. Thabang Setona was caught on video violently kicking a woman to the ground.

His details were circulated on social media along with calls for the ANC to take action against him.

On Monday evening, the ANC in Johannesburg said Setona had been suspended with immediate effect and a disciplinary process would take place. The party said Setona had handed himself over to the police.

According to News24, the party said,

"As the ANC in Joburg we strongly condemn any acts of violence against any person, more so [against] women. The ANC Greater Joburg does not subscribe to the notion of people violently assaulting those who hold contrasting political views."

Gauteng police spokesperson Lungelo Dlamini confirmed to News24 that Setona had handed himself over.

This was confirmed by Police Minister Fikile Mbalula on Twitter.

But there have been concerns about the police's silence on the fact that the assault happened in front of police officers.

Setona was part of the pro-Zuma protesters. One of the organisers, Mkhululi White, told EWN that the group condemned the attack.

"What that comrade did was very wrong and must be condemned in the strongest term and also we hope that the law enforcement will deal with that comrade because he was not part of the organisers, he's a person who joined the march (sic)," he said.

The ANC Women's League and the Council for Gender Equality (CGE) both condemned the attack.

According to IOL, CGE spokesperson Javu Baloyi said: "In a video that has gone viral, a woman is seen being brutally beaten by a man wearing an African National Congress [ANC] T-shirt. The Commission is also shocked that nobody came to the assistance of a powerless and helpless woman who was being assaulted even whilst lying on the ground.

"The CGE is equally worried that there was lack of police action to either stop the beating or apprehend the perpetrator of this heinous crime. The beating clearly shows we are a society that has normalised violence against the most vulnerable people of our society, in this case a defenceless woman. In the year 2016 alone, a staggering 182,933 cases of assault were reported."

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