Last week Vicki Momberg was found guilty of crimen injuria by a South African court because she had used the “K-word” after being a victim of a smash-and-grab robbery in her car. She had used the word as she was not getting any response from the police. According to her attorney, Mr. Kingdom Onah, she has already received death threats from her black fellow prisoners at “Sun City”, the notorious prison in Soweto where she is serving her effective two-year sentence.
This came to light yesterday after Momberg’s application for leave to appeal at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court. During an interview with Free West Media, Mr. Onah said: “We are trying to get Vicki out of there (the Soweto prison) as soon as possible. She is not safe.”
However, because Momberg’s advocate, Mr. Kevin Lawlor, is currently in hospital, the case could not proceed and has been postponed until 11 April.
Hordes of journalists from the mainstream media, displaying open hostility towards Vicki Momberg, attended the court session.
‘Convicted criminal’
During the postponement of the case, the state prosecutor said that proceedings should only start at 11 o’clock on 11 April, as the Department of Correctional Services is struggling to transport Momberg in time from Soweto to the court. “She is now a convicted criminal, therefore she may not be allowed out of the prison before nine in the morning,” the prosecutor said.
Because Vicki Momberg is a single parent, there is concern about the well-being of her two children.
The media also focussed on Momberg’s African hairstyle, known as “corn rows”. Evidently she was given this hairstyle in prison as there are no facilities for women with Caucasian, straight hair. Few white women ever land in prison in South Africa.
Mr. Onah, who is originally from Nigeria, and Mr. Lawlor are providing pro bono legal services to Vicki Momberg. Due to the fine of R100 000 she has already had to pay, in addition to her imprisonment, she has been ruined financially and is not able to afford legal services.
Vicki Momberg is the first person ever to be imprisoned in South Africa for uttering a so-called “racist” word. She has been sentenced to an effective two years’ imprisonment by Magistrate Pravina Rugoonandan, who is of Indian descent. One year of her three year sentence has been suspended for a further three years.
