Until 2021, seasoned radio presenter Dimakatso Ratselane was married to a man called Mackenzie Ratselane and their marriage looked perfect. However, like many marriages these days, behind closed doors, things were far from perfect in the Ratselanes marriage.
In February 2021, Dimakatso Ratselane’s plight caught national attention after coming close to death following a GBV incident at the hands of her husband who immediately became a wanted man.
Here is everything you need to know about Dimakatso Ratselane’s husband, what he did, his arrest and trial proceedings to date.
Who is Dimakatso Ratselane’s husband and what did he do?
According to some unconfirmed sources, Dimakatso Ratselane’s husband previously served as a detective at the South African Police Service.
Not much is known about his background and when he and Dimakatso met or got married but their marriage bore children.
On the 11th of February 2021 at around midnight, a badly wounded and barely recognisable Dimakatso Ratselane was discovered by community members at Mangaung, Bloemfontein and was rushed to Pelonomi Hospital.
A police report later revealed that Dimakatso’s husband had attacked and stabbed her at least 49 times and left her for dead after they got engaged in a heated argument. The two were on their way to pick up their children at Phase 2 Mangaung when the fight ensued.
Mackenzie Ratselane’s arrest
Following the news of Dimakatso Ratselane’s violent attack and a public outcry against the attack and GBV in general, a warrant of arrest was issued for her husband who had gone into hiding.
A manhunt was also launched by SAPS and in a bid to intensify the suspect’s search, the police also circulated his photos on social media and asked members of the public to share any information they had about him with them.
After successfully hiding from the police for six days, Dimakatso Ratsalane’s husband was finally arrested by the Soweto Flying Squad, in conjunction with the Free State police in a house in Ennerdale, Johannesburg where he had been hiding.
Read also: Mzansi celebrities accused of GBV.
Mackenzie Ratselane’s court case
After spending a night in police custody, Dimakatso Ratselane was presented to Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on 18th February 2021. He was charged with kidnapping, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, attempted murder, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Dimakatso made her first appearance in court after making a recovery during the hearing of her GBV case. The radio presenter narrated how her husband had been under influence of alcohol when he began accusing her of being unfaithful to him and began stabbing her. She further revealed that he had started assaulting her shortly after she gave birth to their firstborn child, and things just got worse with time.
After several postponements of the trial by the defense team who requested more time to prepare themselves, the trial finally resumed in March 2022.
Since recovering, Dimakatso resumed work in radio. She also became a vocal activist against GBV and uses her story to raise awareness and inspire other women who have survived GBV in their marriages.
