Residents of Happy Valley in Blackheath are reeling after a 40-year-old woman was allegedly run over and killed by her ex-husband in a brazen daylight attack that community members say follows a pattern of threats and previous complaints to the police.
The incident unfolded just after midday on Saturday in Chris Nissan Street, where, according to witnesses and police, Sharon Khona was hit by a gold bakkie, before the driver allegedly reversed and drove over her a second time.
The brutality of the killing, and claims that the suspect had been out on bail in a separate case involving Khona only weeks earlier, have intensified anger over the response by authorities to domestic violence complaints in the area.
Police said the driver later handed himself over and has since appeared in court on a murder charge.
‘He bumped her with the bakkie… then he drove over her again’
Police confirmed that the incident occurred around 12pm on Saturday.
Police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala confirmed that Mfuleni police registered a murder case following an incident at Chris Nissan Street, Happy Valley, on Saturday, at about 12pm.
According to residents, the attack was the culmination of a morning in which the suspect allegedly spotted his ex-wife with her new partner, and waited for an opportunity to confront her.
A member of a neighbourhood watch, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the man had been “in and out of jail for the past few years” and appeared unable to accept that the relationship had ended.
The acquaintance said: “Last year, he told me that they are now finally divorced, but I don’t think he was taking it well when his ex wife had moved on with someone else.”
The same source said the man followed Khona on Saturday morning after seeing her with her boyfriend, without her knowing she had been seen.
According to the source, the events of Saturday morning began when the suspect spotted his ex-wife with her new partner, without her knowledge.
He said: “Saturday morning, at around 9, he saw his ex-wife with the boyfriend when she was on her way home and she didn’t know he did see them together.
“He waited for her to go home just a few metres away from her house and then he bumped her with the bakkie.”
He continued: “Then he drove over her again. After that, he left and handed himself over to the police.”
Residents say the attack took place only metres from Khona’s home.
Claims of previous threats and a gun complaint
In the hours after Khona’s death, community members voiced frustration that earlier warnings had not been acted on more decisively.
Community members claim the victim had previously tried to seek protection from authorities.
One woman, who asked not to be named due to fear of victimisation, said: “He has been threatening her for a while. A few weeks ago, she opened a case against him because he pointed at her with a gun. He went out on bail and we don’t know why.
“He is very feared in the community.”
Residents allege that the suspect’s reputation and history with the law were well known.
A member of a neighbourhood watch, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the man had been “in and out of jail for the past few years” and appeared unable to accept that the relationship had ended.
Community members are in shock and claim that the man had been out on bail at the time of the alleged murder.
Police, however, have not confirmed whether he was indeed on bail when the killing took place.
Police did not respond to questions on whether the suspect was out on bail at the time of the incident.
For many in Happy Valley, this silence underscores wider concerns about how seriously threats and domestic violence complaints are taken when women report them.
Domestic violence fears and anger over bail
Local civic leaders say Khona’s killing cannot be seen as an isolated incident, but rather as part of a broader pattern of violence against women in the area – and of systemic failures in protecting them.
Secretary of South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in the Happy Valley community, Benita Engelbrecht, condemned the killing, describing it as part of a broader pattern of violence against women in the area.
Engelbrecht said: “Violence and domestic violence against women in our community is common, and most times, the police are very slow and it happened days after he was released on bail. I feel if a woman opens a case of domestic violence, the police must take it seriously and the court should not give bail so easily.”
Her comments reflect rising frustration over what activists describe as a recurring cycle: women seek help, cases are opened, suspects are released on bail, and the violence escalates.
Residents in Chris Nissan Street say they have become used to hearing arguments and seeing police vehicles in the area, but the sight of a woman being run over twice in broad daylight has left many shaken.
“He is very feared in the community,” the anonymous neighbour said, arguing that Khona had done what she could by going to the police and opening a case when a gun was allegedly pointed at her.
Arrest and court appearance
Gwala confirmed that a suspect was arrested shortly after the incident.
The suspect was arrested for murder and appeared at the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
He is expected to remain in custody while the investigation continues. Police have not provided further detail on the exact charges he faces beyond confirming the murder case, nor have they clarified the status of any previous cases linked to him.
The alleged sequence of events – from a reported gun threat weeks earlier, to a bail release, to Saturday’s deadly attack – is now likely to come under close scrutiny as investigators piece together Khona’s final months.
For now, residents in Happy Valley are left mourning a mother and neighbour, and asking whether her death could have been prevented.
In a community already grappling with crime, unemployment and fragile trust in the justice system, Khona’s killing has deepened calls for stricter bail conditions in domestic violence cases, better follow-up on threats, and a more robust response when women report they are in danger.
As the legal process unfolds at the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court, Khona’s family and neighbours say their focus is on supporting her children and pushing for accountability – not just for the man accused of killing her, but for the systems that they believe failed to keep her safe.
