Online Reporter
Tsenulo Moyo
IN a story that proves courage knows no age, a 63-year-old grandmother from Umguza became an overnight hero after executing a daring rooftop escape to evade her drunken attacker in a terrifying midnight ordeal.
Neighbours described the attacker as a gangling farm worker, who is as dark as the night, has terrifying bloodshot eyes, with powerful and calloused hands.
Jarnet Gwebu’s (pictures) nightmare began at 3:30am on January 12 when her workmate, Givemore Ndlovu (30), broke into her hut through the wall, reeking of alcohol and intent on rape. What followed was a life-or-death struggle that would showcase this grandmother’s incredible quick thinking and bravery.
“I heard footsteps but thought it was donkeys,” Gwebu recalled, her voice trembling. “Then he jumped inside and ordered me to stay quiet.” The intruder was no stranger — Ndlovu worked alongside her and knew she had just received her wages.
The intoxicated assailant climbed into her blankets, gripping her tightly. “He kept saying he’d always wanted me,” Gwebu said. When physical resistance seemed futile, the quick-witted grandmother hatched an audacious plan.
“I outwitted him. I used his lust against him,” she said.
Playing along, Gwebu pretended to cooperate. “I told him I’d look for a condom,” she revealed. The moment Ndlovu loosened his grip, the sexagenarian made her move — scrambling up and bursting through the thatched roof, landing in a ditch below before sprinting to neighbours in nothing but her pyjamas.
Her daughter, Tholiwe, shuddered recounting the incident: “If he hadn’t been drunk, he might have killed her.”
When neighbors Arnold Nyoni and Mlala returned with Gwebu, they found Ndlovu gone — but his hat remained as damning evidence. Also missing: $45 cash, a torch, and Gwebu’s blue work suit.
The psychological scars run deep. “I’ve abandoned my home,” confessed Gwebu, now living at her employer’s property. “Every time I’m there, I relive that night.”
Headman Fosi Alphons Gwebu suspects transient gold miners are behind recent attacks. “We need village meetings to address this,” he urged, calling for stronger community protection measures.
In court, Ndlovu pleaded not guilty to attempted rape and theft, claiming mistaken identity — a defence that drew scoffs from observers. Provincial magistrate Abednico Ndebele remanded him in custody to today.
As Women’s Month celebrations continue, Gwebu’s story has become a powerful testament to female resilience. “I hope they jail him until he’s old,” the grandmother declared, her voice steely with resolve. “Young men who attack women deserve no mercy.”
Her breathtaking escape through the thatch — a moment of sheer desperation turned triumphant — serves as both warning to predators and inspiration to potential victims everywhere: fight back, however you can.
The case continues at the Umguza Magistrates’ Court, where Ndlovu faces charges of attempted rape and theft. For now, a brave grandmother’s quick thinking — and even quicker feet — have written a new chapter in the annals of women’s resistance against gender-based violence.
