A KwaZulu-Natal family of a young woman, Ntokozo Ziqubu, who was shot and killed in August 2023, is seeking justice nearly three years later.

According to her family, three alleged perpetrators who had earlier gone to her home looking for her later found her on the street near her home, where they shot and killed her.

The victim’s aunt, Lindiwe Nzuza, believes Ziqubu’s murder was not random but a targeted incident.

Nzuza has described her niece’s murder as femicide, saying that investigations conducted within the community suggested that the alleged perpetrators were hired in a situation she explained as a dispute linked to a love triangle.

“It was definitely femicide because it was not an incident that happened accidentally, but a targeted attack specifically on her,” says Nzuza.

She further claims that the justice system has failed to give her family justice for her niece’s murder, alleging that the investigation officer who responded to the incident did not take the appropriate statements issued by people who were at the scene.

“The officer wrote that the perpetrators were unknown, even though he had been given names,” she says.

Nzuza says these circumstances stole an opportunity for them to get justice, hence the case remains unsolved to date.

The family also claims that fear and intimidation from the alleged perpetrators made it difficult for witnesses to come forward or maintain their statements.

Nzuza says the intimidation of witnesses ensured the truth is never revealed, saying the lives of witnesses are threatened and they are forced to remain quiet.

“Unfortunately, we do not have whistleblower protection in our country. If you are a witness, you are subjecting yourself to either being killed or being violated.”

PODCAST| Family calls for accountability and protection of whistleblowers:

In February, SABC News spoke to GBV expert Nadia Bernon, who also concluded that when it comes to GBV and femicide, the situation is not getting better, adding that the numbers are escalating due to the gaps within the justice system and court processes that are failing to protect survivors.

Meanwhile, gender activist and researcher Lisa Vetten says South Africa should look at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry to understand some of the problems the country has in relation to police investigations.

“When we see what is happening in the Madlanga Commission, we shouldn’t just be thinking about the impact in relation to large-scale organised crime, drug dealing, taxis and alike; we should think about it in relation to what it means to the quality of policing generally,” says Vetten.