Communicare CEO Anthea Houston (centre) was assaulted by a marathon runner during a peaceful protest Photo IOL
Cape Town – Communicare CEO Anthea Houston remains hospitalised with a severe concussion and head injuries following an assault during a Pro-Palestine demonstration in Salt River, Cape Town, on 15 October. Houston, participating in a peaceful protest against the killings of Palestinians in Gaza, was attacked by a Cape Town Marathon runner.
Despite more than 200 police officers taking part in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon as well as being onsite, it was almost impossible to get the attention of the police. Juanita Pandy, the daughter of Anthea Houston, spoke to the Cape Town Marathon organiser who said his representative who spoke to the police described the assault as “a minor incident”.
“I told him it doesn’t matter how someone wants to describe the incident. The facts reflect that she remained on the floor because the injury was so bad that when she hit the tar, she remained on the floor for an hour waiting for an ambulance. The paramedics weren’t comfortable enough to move her. Metro Police responded but subsequently, once we got to the hospital, I called them and I asked them to come through and take a statement. They did once the investigating officer was appointed. They are also being proactive.”
The assault and tracking the runner
The assault happened towards the end of the race when the crowds were dwindling, said Pandy. There was a lot of open space to run and the protestors were not in the way of any runners which makes it more baffling to the family as to why this particular runner decided to run out of his way to commit this assault on Houston.
“There’s a lot of space on the road. They were on the side and my mother was moving to the other side of the road but there was ample space. She didn’t think that he would even be attacking her. She was clearly marked in Palestinian gear. She had the scarf on, she didn’t have a placard, they didn’t exchange any words. He unprovokedly went to her and he hit her twice. The way she recalls it, [he hit her] with his fist against the chest and a little bit on her chin. Then he ran off.”
The runner, in an apparent attempt to evade consequences, changed his running number. However, the community’s determination and solidarity have led to the discovery of potential leads.
“What I understand is your front number is the number registered to the race. The back number is your licence number. So when we put in the licence number it actually led us to another female but when we used the front number, we got his alleged identity. We have informed the Western Province Athletics as well as the Cape Town Marathon. I’ve provided them with the images and they said they were going to try and contact him to find out his version of the story.”
For Pandy, whether the runner claims it was an accident or not, it doesn’t matter. The fact of the matter is he left Houston laying on the ground after attacking her. This and not contacting the family afterwards shows to Pandy that it was not an accident. Despite having his image plastered on social media his identity remains unconfirmed.
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A call for solidarity and change
After the attack Salt River Heritage Society released a statement condemning the runner and calling for the community to support Houston.
We cannot and will not tolerate gender-based violence, especially in South Africa … This incident serves as a stark reminder that we must work together to create a safer, more inclusive, and more compassionate society for all,” said Lutfi Omar, chairperson of the Salt River Heritage Society.
In their statement they also called for the South African government and international community to demand an immediate ceasefire between the Israeli Defence Force and Hamas, to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and United Nations protection for Palestinians in Gaza immediately.
The statement from Silver River Heritage Society Photo Facebook/ Silver River Heritage Society
The day before the attack, Houston was being celebrated at an exhibition for 90 remarkable women for their activism during the struggle and the liberation. On Saturday she was celebrated for her activism and on Sunday she was attacked for that same thing, said Pandy.
“It highlights that the struggle still continues. We have liberation in South Africa but there’s other places in the world that don’t. People might try and say this is not the place for it or this is absolutely the place for it. We have rights here. There’s other countries that don’t have rights like Palestine. I hope that this also brings awareness to the need to stand up and voice your opinion because whether he disagrees or not, a thumbs down and running on is completely within his rights. To physically assault someone for believing and standing in solidarity for justice and for equality, it doesn’t make sense to me in today’s day and age. We are hoping for justice and we will see it through.”
