Gontse Mochadibane doesn’t know where to begin the tale of the hardship her family suffers since the brutal murder of her sister, Precious Sibongile Mochadibana, the breadwinner who died without leaving a will.
“I wake-up with the pain knowing that I will never see my sister again, but at the same time I know I must be strong for her minor children who must grow-up without their mother and for our mother who suffers from depression since witnessing the murder on 30 January 2023. It is very bad,” says Gontse.
She had to listen on her phone how her sister was being stabbed to death.
Her mother and her sister’s daughter, a Matric learner, witnessed the murder at her home in Crystal Park.
The case against her alleged killer is still pending.
The state requested a postponement to allow the daughter to finish writing her National Senior Certificate before she has to testify.
Her sister, a firefighter at OR Tambo International Airport, had a bright and upcoming career. She supported her boyfriend, children, mother and siblings, but did not leave a will.
“There was no insurance on her house and we are not able to pay the bond, so the bank wants to take the house. Her employer has still not paid out her pension money because they first have to investigate if there were other dependents. It is just one big mess and we stand to lose everything.
“All of this because she wanted to leave her boyfriend, but he said he will kill her if she does. He did not beat her, but he was emotionally abusive. He tracked her phone, he followed her, her was very jealous and kept on accusing her of all sorts of things.
“She was a beautiful person. She was my best friend. We could share absolutely everything. I don’t go to church since she died. I am angry with God.”
It is alleged that the boyfriend started stabbing Precious while she was sleeping. She managed to escape from the house and tried to seek help from the neighbour, but was stabbed to death on the pavement.
MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, is giving a voice to victims who died over the past year during this 16-Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence to ensure that they are not forgotten.
Martlé Keyter, MISA’s Chief Executive Officer: Operations, says although South Africa has some of the best legislation in the world to prevent and address gender-based-violence, the theory is almost impossible to implement in practise.
“The South African Police Service (SAPS) has too little manpower and resources to adhere to what is expected of them. The country has one of the highest number of murders in the world, not even to mention the pandemic of other serious crimes. It is simply not possible for the SAPS to fight this fight alone.
“MISA pleads with our more than 63 000 members to get involved in their own communities and to speakup. Report it when your neighbour is beating his wife or dragging his child by the hair. Each of us needs to be the change we want to see,” says Keyter.
ISSUED BY MOTOR INDUSTRY STAFF ASSOCIATION (MISA)
- As part of our contribution to the 16 days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children Campaign (25 November to 10 December 2023) PE Express will be publishing the stories of women and were victims of violence. The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children Campaign is a United Nations campaign, which is held annually from 25 November (International Day for No Violence Against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day). According to www.gov.za this year marks the 25th anniversary since South Africa initiated the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign. The 16 Days campaign focuses on raising awareness to the devastating impact that gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) has on women and children, and the social fabric of our society. The campaign was launched on 25 November 2023, in Mpumalanga Province, and the theme for the 16 Days of Activism Campaign for 2023 is: “Accelerating actions to end gender-based violence & femicide: leaving no one behind”. The sub-theme for this year is: “Safe access for women to clean water: a basic human right”. The theme speaks to the importance of ensuring an all-society and multi-faceted approach to fight GBVF. The sub-theme seeks to address barriers women face in safely accessing water and sanitation in South Africa.
