A man from Franschhoek claims that a beaten woman took his phone out of his bag while the family prayed before eating.

A Cape Town woman who was allegedly assaulted at a restaurant in Pearl Valley, Franschhoek, has been charged with common assault and malicious damage to property, according to Cape Town and Western Cape police.

Johan van der Merwe, who is accused of beating Ntombizodwa Sephoko, 40, at the Savoye restaurant on the Vrede en Lust Wine Estate in Franschhoek, has filed countercharges against the woman he is accused of assaulting.

At the restaurant, the Van der Merwe family was praying over their food when an unidentified woman was allegedly seen taking a cellphone out of the bag of van der Merwe’s wife.

Van der Merwe claimed that Sephoko slapped him and pushed him into the pool, causing damage to his wife’s phone.

A video from the episode became a web sensation via virtual entertainment this week, where a bloodied Sephoko was seen being purportedly gone after by Van der Merwe in the pool.

Police representative Chief FC van Wyk affirmed an instance of attack and vindictive harm was opened against Sephoko.

The complainant claims that on April 16, 2023, he and his family were on a farm in Simondium.

“When the complainant’s family saw an unidentified woman taking something out of his wife’s bag, they asked his mother-in-law to pray for the food. The accused then slapped him and pushed him into the pool.

The accused then damaged the cellphone of his wife. Van Wyk stated, “The suspect was taken into custody.”

Sephoko previously told the Cape Argus that she was traumatized and had permanent scars from being allegedly attacked by Van der Merwe on April 16 as she and a friend looked into the restaurant as a possible location for a birthday party.

On April 27, 2023, Sephoko filed a case against Van der Merwe with the Groot Drakenstein SAPS for attempted murder.

Police also confirmed that both Sephoko and Van der Merwe incidents are still ongoing.