DA MP Shares Heartbreaking Story of GBV Survivor Left Permanently Disabled After Brutal Attack
- DA MP Ian Cameron shared the story of Sivenathi Toto, a George woman who was brutally attacked in 2022 at just 23 years old
- The attack left Sive with permanent brain damage, unable to speak or walk, and fully dependent on others for her care
- Four years later, the case against the accused remains unresolved, with the next court date set for November 2026
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Source: Twitter
SOUTH AFRICA - Sivenathi "Sive" Toto was 23 years old when her life changed forever. DA Member of Parliament Ian Cameron brought her story back into public focus, sharing it on X as part of a broader conversation about gender-based violence in South Africa.
Young woman attacked in George
Sive was allegedly attacked on 26 August 2022 in Lawaaikamp, George. According to court-related reports, the accused, Shaun Madonono, allegedly broke into her home, dragged her to his residence and assaulted her until she lost consciousness. She was later allegedly left near a petrol station on Nelson Mandela Boulevard, where a petrol attendant discovered her.
The injuries she sustained were catastrophic. Sive suffered severe brain damage and a stroke, which left her unable to speak or walk without assistance. She is now permanently wheelchair-bound and relies on others for her daily care.
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A legal process four years in the making
Action Society, which has been monitoring the case, has repeatedly raised concerns about delays in the court proceedings. The accused was reportedly arrested on 27 August 2022 and granted bail the very next day. He faces charges including assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm, kidnapping and housebreaking.
As of August 2026, the case had been postponed to 17 November 2026, meaning justice for Sive remains out of reach four years after the attack.
Cameron calls on South Africa to remember Sive
Cameron used his platform to challenge how South Africa speaks about GBV survivors. He pointed out that the conversation too often centres on those who lose their lives, overlooking survivors like Sive who are left bearing the consequences of extreme violence every single day.
"Say her name too," Cameron urged.
He asked the public to remember Sive not just as a court case, but as the young woman she was before that night in August 2022.
South Africans responded with grief and frustration
@LML_88_ wrote:
"No justice in SA."
@Jacobs_Orbit said:
"Justice minister, judges and magistrates must tell us where justice is in all this."
@MJ_Khatlisi asked:
"What's wrong with the South African judiciary? The evidence is right there."
@BonganiSarel shared:
"Regardless of the current status quo, nobody can objectively look at this and think justice was done. Who's making the decisions to grant bail to these murderers and psychopaths?"
@Oratuwe4 reacted:
"😭😭😭 Ian, you are breaking our hearts! Oh Sivenathi 💔💔"
GBV survivor speaks on the Ekurhuleni murders
Briefly News reported that Alison Botha, one of South Africa's most recognised gender-based violence survivors,broke her social media silence to speak directly to women across the country following the murders of nine women in Kempton Park. In a selfie-style video posted to her Instagram page, Botha said after 30 years since her attack, nothing much in South Africa has change when it comes to women's safety.
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Source: Briefly News
