Mpumalanga Premier Plans to Beef Up Esther Mahlangu's Home Security Following Robbery and Assault

• South African artist, Ester Mahlangu was robbed and assaulted over the weekend by a man who made off with a gun and cash
• The elderly woman was visited by Mpumalanga premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane who offered to increase security at the home
• South Africans took to social media to react to the government's efforts to find and arrest the suspect

JOHANNESBURG - Mpumalanga premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane has urged community members to protect the elderly following the attack and robbery of acclaimed artist, Esther Mahlangu over the weekend.

The premier who was outraged over the incident visited Mahlangu’s home in Siyabuswa on Wednesday and vowed to beef up security.

According to Eyewitness News, the man who is yet to be found assaulted the elderly woman and tied her up before making off with a gun and an undisclosed sum of money. A house robbery case was opened by police officials.

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Mtshweni-Tsipane who described the incident as very unfortunate said:

“All of us are police and we must make sure that safety begins at home. The moral fiber of our community has now degenerated.”

Community safety MEC Vusi Shongwe told TimesLive that a team of detectives are assembled to review the case and said:

“The perpetrator will be brought to book."

South Africans reacted to the assault and robbery

@ivorine2 said:

“The attack on her was sad and cruel, how is that not discrimination against other vulnerable elders, who live in gangster infested places + have to just deal with it. There are many such cases in our rural areas but it’s not reported on, because those poor people are not famous.”

@khabazito commented:

”What about my granny in Umlazi? Doesn't she also deserve protection? Or are township grannies not important enough?”

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@FingoSir shared:

“Why is that the role of government! For how long?”

@Pietpompies2022 posted:

“And what about the other citizens.”

Esther Mahlangu flies South African flag high with global opportunity

Briefly News previously reported Dr Mahlangu will be unveiling her Rolls-Royce Phantom at The Melrose Gallery at One & Only in Cape Town.

She has previously done work for the BMW group in 2016. She worked on the 7 series car which was displayed at the Frieze Art Fair in London in that same year.

Briefly.co.za gathered that Esther Mahlangu was born on 11 November 1935 in Middleburg, Mpumalanga. She is of the South Ndebele heritage. She was the first of nine children: three girls and six boys.

She is famously known for her specialisation in traditional Ndebele paintings and beadwork, a skill which is passed down through generations in the community, and she learned it from her mother and grandmother. In the past, people used coloured clay to decorate their walls, but in the 1940s, the use of modern paints was introduced in the community and Ndebele art also evolved.

Source: Briefly News