As South Africa continues to grapple with another pandemic – gender-based violence (GBV), we cannot celebrate youth month without remembering our murdered young women.

And while we take a look at the most recent cases, we cannot help but wonder how many more young women have been murdered and their deaths simply not “important enough” to be reported to police. 

In May, the South African Police Services (SAPS) released its fourth quarter 2024/25 crime statistics, which painted an even bleaker picture. 

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu stated that GBV was one of the prioritised items on the SAPS mandate. 

“During this quarter, sexual offences, including rape and contact sexual offences, along with commercial crime, have shown increases. These are deeply concerning trends that demand renewed focus and urgent intervention,” Mchunu said.

A total of 13,452 sexual offences were reported in just three months across the country. 

Countless heartache and marches do not seem to deter the perpetrators of these crimes, as things seem to get worse. 

High profile cases

This shows that no matter how ordinary, careful or safe you think you are, as a woman in South Africa, we are never truly safe. 

Olorato Mongale

Olorato Mongale, 30, a postgraduate student at the University of the Witwatersrand, did everything right. 

On May 25, Mogale went on her first date with a man she had met only recently. 

CCTV footage captured her leaving her residence in Athol, Johannesburg, and getting into a white VW Polo with what was later revealed as cloned licence plates.

Police investigations revealed that the two drove to Alexandra, then to Kew.

According to police, between Alexandra and Lombardy West in Johannesburg, Mogale was murdered and her body dumped.

Some of Mogale’s belongings, including her cell phone and handbag, were found abandoned in Kew, Johannesburg. 

Hilary Gardee

28-year-old Hilary Gardee, the daughter of former EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee, made headlines after she went missing on April 29, 2022 in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga. 

Days later, her body was found in a timber plantation outside Nelspruit on May 3. Her body was found by timber plantation workers nearly 60km outside Mbombela with stab wounds, boot prints and a gunshot wound.

An autopsy revealed Gardee was shot in the back of the head and stabbed multiple times.

On the day of her disappearance, she was last seen leaving a shopping complex in Nelspruit at about 5.30pm. She was with a three-year-old girl she was planning to adopt. After they were both missing for several hours, the child was returned home safely after she was found on a street in KamaGugu.

Nosicelo Mtebeni 

Nosicelo Mtebeni, a law student at the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape, was murdered and dismembered in 2021. 

The 23-year-old’s death sparked a national outcry after some of her body parts were found in a suitcase dumped in the street not far from where she shared a room with her boyfriend in Quigney, East London. 

The boyfriend, Alutha Pasile, 25, was arrested after he confessed to police. 

He claimed his motive for the murder was his anger after he discovered Mtebeni was cheating.

Tshegofatso Pule 

Tshegofatso Pule, 28, was viciously killed in 2020.

Pule, who was eight months pregnant at the time, was found hanging from a tree close to Florida Road in Roodepoort, Gauteng. She was shot and brutally stabbed to death. 

Pule was last seen alive while getting into her cab, her boyfriend sent for her to come to his place of residence. Muzikayise Malephane, who is serving 20 years for the murder of Pule, turned State witness and pointed fingers at her boyfriend.

Ntuthuko Shoba, as the mastermind behind the hit Malephane,31, confessed that he killed Pule as part of his deal. He told the State that Shoba had offered him up to R70,000 to kill Pule. He claimed Shoba had first offered him R7,000 to kill Pule, as he did not want his wife to know he had impregnated her.

Uyinene Mrwetyana

The murder of University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana, 19, sent shockwaves through the nation. 

She went missing in August 2019, after visiting the Clarenreich Post Office in Claremont, Cape Town, in the Western Cape. 

Mrwetyana purchased clothes online, and the parcel was due for collection at Clarenreich Post Office. She had made inquiries on August 8 and was assisted by a staff member who allegedly told Mrwetyana that the parcel was not ready for collection and that he would contact her when the parcel arrived.

The parcel arrived on August 16, 2019, and on Saturday, August 24, she arrived at the post office after it was closed for business. Luyanda Botha (Post Office employee)  was alone inside the post office and let her in. The young woman was never seen alive again.

Her body was found two days after Botha made a statement to police and led investigators to where her body was hidden.

Mrwetyana was raped twice, her body initially hid inside the safe of the Post Office, it was later dumped and doused with an accelerant before being set alight.

Kirsten Kluyts

Kirsten Kluyts was killed moments before her attacker allegedly tried to rape her. Bafana Mahungela is accused of kidnapping the school teacher in October 2023. He also faces charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, murder and attempted rape.

He appeared in court this week, and the matter has been postponed to October 13 for the commencement of the trial. The accused will remain in custody until his next court appearance.

In Bloemfontein, a 51-year-old man was sentenced for raping his niece. She was just 10-years-old when he forced himself on her.

In East London, 32-year-old Lwando Sfiso Phike was convicted on eight counts of rape, four counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and one count of attempted rape. He raped several girls and women between the ages of 14 and 23. His terror spree lasted five years.

In KwaZulu-Natal, 57-year-old Rogers Perumah received two life sentences after he was convicted of raping and killing a nine-year-old girl in March 2024.

The girl was helping him search for his missing dog when he pulled her into bushes, raped, beat her then strangled her to death before running away. Her body was found hours after her cruel demise.

Every day, IOL journalists are inundated with emails and WhatsApp messages about murders and rapes. How many more cases go unreported? Police issue daily posts about missing woman in parts of the country, how many of those families are praying for their safe return while fearing the worst?

When is it enough? Will we live long enough to see a future generation? 

Despite a number of initiatives by the government, including 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, and Women’s month, when is enough enough?

Sisonke Gender Justice believes the prevalence of gender-based violence is persistent and requires the use of intersectional approaches in addressing its root causes.

Chisomo Banda of PowerToYouth added that engaging youths as advocates against GBV is important because young people can effectively reach and influence their peers through information sharing and awareness raising about the prevention of GBV among fellow youth.

“Additionally, young people are more willing to hear information from their peers, making them critical agents of change in the fight against GBV,” Banda said. 

Sonke believes in young people as leaders and agents of change in communities. While acknowledging their ability to engage in multi-dimensional and innovative ways of igniting change, they give assurance of sustainability to the cause for gender justice.

@chelseafirelily We are not safe here #foryoupage #gbvsouthafrica #america ♬ original sound – Chelsea Goliath

robin.francke@iol.co.za

IOL

@chelseafirelily We are not safe here #foryoupage #gbvsouthafrica #america ♬ original sound – Chelsea Goliath

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