Minister Cele must urgently intervene in Majozi and Ngobese GBVF case

14 December 2022

ActionSA Provincial Chairperson, Zwakele Mncwango and party members today attended a Court Case hearing and held a picket outside Pinetown Magistrates’ Courts to bring awareness to a Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) case, where two women, Enhle Majozi (18) and Sthembile Ngobese (23) were shot dead, allegedly by police constable, Blessing Sikhakhane.

The bodies of the women whom are believed to have been romantically linked to Sikhakhane were discovered on his property.

ActionSA met with the families of the young women and learnt that since the commencement of the case, there have been unforseen circumstances that have led to delays in bringing closure for the families.

The matter has been brought back and forth from court, where on the 10 November the accused abandoned his bail application. However during today's proceeding, his attorney request for a bail application, consequently leading to the case being postponed to the 19 of January 2023.

ActionSA believes that these delays could be an intentional tactic to drag the case in favour of Sikhakhane, as he is a member of the South African Police Service. Adding salt to the wound, during his arrest, he was detained at the Hillcrest police station where he was stationed in as a police officer.

What is more shocking is the silence of Police Minister Bheki Cele. The Minister is not one to shy away from certain aspects that one believes adds little to no value to the community, however for a pressing matter as this one where the accused is a member of SAPS, his silence is deafening.

It is heart-breaking to see that this tragic case of murder is beginning to go unnoticed by society, and for this reason, ActionSA has taken the first steps in ensuring that this does not happen, by becoming the voice of the voiceless and publicly declaring that enough is enough.

Women and girls continue to live under threat in South Africa with no plan in motion from SAPS on how to break this extreme case of Gender-Based Violence.

ActionSA will be writing to the Minister of Police, demanding he handles this case with utmost urgency, addressing this pressing issue of a member of his force who has taken an oath to serve and protect, but has instead allegedly used his service weapon to take the lives of two young women.

ActionSA will be directly involved in the proceedings of this case and will work tirelessly to ensure that the Majozi and Ngobese family get the justice they deserve.

Issued by Herman Mashaba, ActionSA President, 14 December 2022