The nation mourns yet another tragic loss due to gender-based violence. Nokuphila Mbhele, a 29-year-old woman from the Mandawe area near Scottburgh in KwaZulu-Natal, was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend on 30 March 2025. Her body was discovered inside a rented room, where she had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Her death adds to the growing and alarming number of femicide cases in South Africa.
According to reports, the man suspected of killing Nokuphila attempted to take his own life after the incident but survived. He is currently hospitalized and remains under police guard. Authorities have launched an investigation, and the public is calling for swift justice.
Nokuphila’s tragic passing has left her loved ones and community in shock and mourning. Described as a beautiful soul, her life was taken far too soon. Her death has sparked outrage and reignited conversations about the urgent need to address gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide in South Africa.
Her case is, heartbreakingly, not unique. Women across the country continue to live in fear, with many falling victim to violence at the hands of those they trust the most. Intimate partner violence remains one of the leading causes of death among South African women, yet the urgency to declare GBV and femicide a national crisis continues to be met with insufficient action.
Activists and organizations are demanding that the government take stronger measures to protect women and ensure justice for victims. The call to declare GBV and femicide a National Disaster is growing louder. Many believe that only by recognizing it as such can the issue receive the attention and resources it truly requires.
The organization Women For Change has launched a petition urging the government to take immediate and meaningful action. The petition calls on citizens to stand together in solidarity and demand change. If you wish to support this cause, you can sign the petition at: https://chng.it/4ZMr7cJRpt.
Nokuphila Mbhele’s name joins a long list of women whose lives were brutally cut short. Her story serves as a painful reminder of how much work remains in the fight against gender-based violence. We cannot allow her death—or the deaths of so many others—to go unnoticed or unpunished.
As we honor Nokuphila’s memory, we also renew our commitment to saying their names, seeking justice, and ensuring their stories are not forgotten. Rest in power, Queen. May your spirit live on through action, awareness, and change.