The grim reality of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa continues to escalate, with at least 11 more women murdered since the brutal killing of Wits University student Olorato Mongale just two weeks ago who was murdered in a love scam that went wrong. This surge in femicide underscores the urgent need for decisive action to address this pervasive crisis.
Since Olorato Mongale's murder on Africa Day, May 25, a wave of violence has swept across the nation, claiming the lives of 11 women between May 25 and June 7 (yesterday). These killings serve as a stark reminder of the dangers women face daily in South Africa.
Of these victims, six remain unidentified, their cases highlighting the challenges in tracking and addressing GBV incidents across the country. These unidentified women were killed in Limpopo, Free State, and Eastern Cape. Three of the six were killed in Limpopo, two in Free State, and one in Eastern Cape.
The remaining victims, identified by police, were each killed in Northern Cape, Western Cape, Mpumalanga, and Gauteng. Their stories paint a harrowing picture of the diverse forms of violence women endure.
Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Hlulani Mashaba reported that three women were killed in GBV incidents in Letsitele, Mankweng, and Malamulele between May 25 and June 5.
In the Free State, police spokesperson Capt Loraine Earle detailed two separate incidents. On May 27, a 28-year-old woman was shot dead at her home in Refengkgotso, Deneysville. "It is alleged that on Saturday night, May 24, 2025, an altercation ensued between the couple over a house key. The suspect allegedly went to seek assistance in the morning when he realised his girlfriend was motionless. The woman was declared dead by the emergency services.”
In Eastern Cape, the body of Asenathi Mve, a 20-year-old woman reported missing on June 1 after a night out, was discovered in Bhekela village, Ncera, on Tuesday. Another Eastern Cape woman, Thabisa Mbangeli, 46, was found brutally murdered in Reeston on May 25, according to provincial police.
Northern Cape police spokesperson Brig Mashay Gamieldien reported the discovery of a 19-year-old female student's body in the veld near Bongweni in Kuyasa on Thursday, June 5. "Police [then] proceeded to the Manne Dipico Hospital to check if any persons were receiving medical treatment. While there, a Volkswagen Golf stopped, and a man reported that his girlfriend was lying in the veld in Bongweni. Her boyfriend is currently under police guard at a local hospital – detained for questioning.”
In the Western Cape, police spokesperson Sgt Christopher Spies said a 27-year-old woman was stabbed in the head and back on Wednesday at Blomnek in De Rust. "A man, who was last seen with her was subsequently arrested. The police confiscated a knife, believed to be the murder weapon.”
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Donald Mdhluli reported that on the evening of May 31, Buhlebenkosi Makhanda (20) was possibly raped and shot dead by unknown suspects. "The 20-year-old and the friend were then held up and robbed of their cellphones, and Buhlebenkosi was kidnapped Her friend raised the alarm. Around midday the following day, her half-naked body was discovered near the local graveyard."
On May 30 in Soweto, police discovered the body of Ithabeleng Motleleng (20) under the bed in her boyfriend’s shack, wrapped in a carpet. Her boyfriend, Zacharia Nonyane (27), has been arrested and appeared in the Protea Magistrate’s Court this week on a murder charge. His case was postponed to August 6, and he remains in custody.
These recent victims join a long list of women whose murders have captured national attention, including Olorato, Nontobeko Cele, Nomsa Jass, Tshegofatso Pule, Precious Ramabulana, Karabo Mokoena, Lebohang Monene, Jennifer Motlomi, Hillary Gardee, Dorcas Lekganyane, Tshepang Pitse, and Uyinene Mrwetyana.
The statistics paint a grim picture of the scale of femicide in South Africa. According to national police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe, 13,518 women were killed in South Africa between April 2021 and March 2024. Civil rights organisation Women For Change reported that 5,578 women were killed in 2024 alone, an average of 16 women murders every 24 hours.
Adding to the tragedy, Mpumalanga resident Sibongile Nkosi, 44, became another statistic in South Africa’s growing femicide toll, a year after her brutal murder. Her brother, Mluleki Nkosi, 30, confessed to her murder on Tuesday, claiming she had been haunting him. He said he struck her during an argument the day after the May 29 national elections last year and secretly buried her in the family backyard, telling family she was visiting friends. Nkosi appeared in the Kabokweni Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, and the matter was postponed to August 14.
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