Police arrest Umlazi man for domestic violence after social media outcry
This photo shared by a KwaZulu-Natal woman shows the abuse she suffered allegedly at the hands of a 24-year-old man. He has been arrested.
Image: Instagram
The arrest of a 24-year-old man in Umlazi on Monday followed intense public backlash after a woman took to social media to accuse police of failing to act on repeated reports of abuse, sharing graphic images and livestreaming a violent confrontation that drew widespread attention.
KwaZulu-Natal SAPS confirmed in a media statement that the man was arrested on 12 January 2026, two days after a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm was opened at Umlazi police station. The arrest followed the complainant's public allegations of prolonged abuse and police inaction, sparking online outrage.
On Instagram, the woman posted photographs showing injuries to her face and body and said she had opened four cases against her boyfriend without any arrests. She also shared an image of a baseball bat, which she said was used to assault her.
Another picture showing bruises to her body. She said she opened four cases against the suspect.
Image: Instagram
The situation escalated further when she went live on Instagram, recording herself while attempting to set her boyfriend’s car on fire. She sustained burn injuries during the incident and is currently in hospital.
Police confirmed this sequence of events in their statement. “Police investigations also revealed that the victim is currently in hospital due to burn wounds which she allegedly suffered when she was setting alight her boyfriend’s car which she burnt to ashes,” SAPS said.
According to police, the alleged assault that led to the arrest took place on Friday, 9 January, at V Section in Umlazi. “It is reported that the suspect called the victim to his place to collect her belongings. Upon arrival, the suspect allegedly assaulted the victim with a pipe and bit her, whilst also assaulting her with his hands,” the statement said.
SAPS added that the suspect allegedly followed the woman to her vehicle and “damaged the rear windscreen of the vehicle”.
The case gained momentum after the social media posts circulated widely, with members of the public expressing outrage over the allegations of delayed police action in a domestic violence matter.
The online attention preceded the arrest, which police said occurred “hardly 48 hours after the case was reported”.
SAPS also stated that the woman will face charges once discharged from hospital of assault and malicious damage to property.
Police further alleged that the couple has a history of filing cases against each other. “It is worth noting that the two partners have a history of opening cases against each other. Those cases have been ventilated in court and were not necessarily of domestic violence in nature.”