The rugby player, who signed with Southern Kings last year, is known to Maverick Citizen. He was arrested on Tuesday, 29 December, in Langebaan. Western Cape police indicated the suspect is expected to appear in court next week, once he has been charged. His name cannot be made public until he has appeared in court. 

The arrest follows a motor vehicle accident on Sunday, 13 December, in the parking lot opposite Spar Tops in Melkbosstrand.

At the time of the incident, the Atlantis woman, Rhimondy Apollis, was 37 weeks pregnant. The accused apparently hurled racial slurs at the victim and also allegedly choked and assaulted her. According to Apollis, a second person, driving a bakkie, allegedly tried to run over her mother, Lucinda Williams. Police are still looking for the second suspect. 

Apollis says she wants justice: “The damage to my car is immaterial. It is about the racist remarks and the assault… I don’t want money from them. If the tables were turned, it would have been a different ball game.”

Recalling the events that unfolded around 6.45pm on Sunday, 13 December, Apollis said she, her husband, Henry, and her mother, Lucinda, drove from Atlantis to Melkbosstrand to buy a milk tart. 

The family then decided to go to the beachfront and at the same time buy ice cream for their children. Their car was parked in the parking lot next to Spar Tops. While Apollis and her husband waited for the ice cream, they noticed a loud group of white males and females walking past them.

Her husband asked her to keep an eye on the group.

“I saw them walking towards a TSI Polo with no number plates, which was parked near our car. The guy who assaulted me got behind the wheel and struggled to get the car reversing. A white female then got behind the steering wheel [while he] got into the back seat. I saw her reversing into our car and ran towards the scene,” Apollis said.

Things got heated when her mother confronted the driver. It is further alleged that a white male driving a bakkie pulled up at the scene to take the white female driver away from the scene.

“I protested, stood in front of the bakkie and said they are not taking away the white female driver from the scene… The rugby player smacked me on my head from behind. The driver in the bakkie then shouted at my mother, ‘you dirty coloured hotnot’ and tried to speed off,” she said. 

Apollis said the rugby player’s friends pulled her mother away in the nick of time. The driver of the bakkie turned and again tried to run over her mother but missed. Apollis pushed away the rugby player and shouted at him, “are you crazy?” 

“He then pushed me into the door and told me ‘jou hotnot’ and smacked me. I tried to push him away and shouted at his white friends ‘why don’t you stop him’. He let go of me and I told them I’m not worried about the dent in the car or the insurance, but the manner in which they dealt with us.

“He came back at me and hit me with his fist against the head. I tried to push him away. He then put his elbow underneath my chin and tried to choke me. The way he assaulted and humiliated me, I felt that I wanted to hit back but I was thinking about my unborn baby. I just heard my husband shouting and at that time he let go of me,” she said.

Apollis identified the perpetrator via social media. During the incident, she heard his friends use his name, which helped her to find him on Facebook.

Apollis was also frustrated when the Melkbosstrand SAPS apparently failed to open a case, until the South African Human Rights Commission and Advocate Venice Burgins intervened.

Eastern Province Rugby Union general manager Thando Manana could not be reached for comment. Ex-Springbok coach and newly appointed EP Elephants head coach Peter de Villiers said he doesn’t know the player but: “In my players’ manual there is a chapter dealing with gender-based violence. The contract of any player contravening the law will be cancelled until he is found not guilty in a court of law.”

Burgins is also a director at the Ukubavimba Foundation. She said following Melkbosstrand SAPS’s alleged refusal to open a docket, she was approached by Verona Oktober from the Atlantis Action Group to assist in the matter.

With the help of South African Human Rights monitor Zona Morton, Burgins was able to secure an appointment with Melkbosstrand SAPS on 20 December. On the same day, the charges were opened.

“Gender-based violence and femicide is rife in our country, the second pandemic after Covid-19, as stated by President Cyril Ramaphosa, and must be dealt with in the harshest manner. The fact that this assault was on a 37-week pregnant woman in the presence of her mother and children leaves much room to be desired of the character of the suspect, who portrayed absolutely no respect for women and children,” Burgins said.

Police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut confirmed the arrest of the suspect in the Melkbosstrand incident and added that a second suspect facing charges of attempted murder has not been arrested. Both cases are still under investigation, he added. MC