Masiphephe Network outraged as man fatally stabbed and slit girlfriend’s throat

Sep 18, 2022 | Home Page Slider

Masiphephe Network joins the Member of Executive Council (MEC) for Social Development, Nonhlanhla Khoza, and other civil society partners in KwaZulu-Natal to condemn the killing of a healthcare worker, Nomkhosi Zungu, aged 35.

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Masiphephe Network is a collaborative that is led by the Centre for Communication Impact (CCI) in partnership with government departments, civil society, local media organisations and community members in Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) prevention and response. The network brings together law enforcement and justice service organisations, the Department of Social Development, Chapter Nine institutions and several advocacy and service provision civil society partners among others. These organisations work together to devise and implement strategies for GBV prevention, provide counselling for the affected persons and facilitate improved justice outcomes for GBV survivors and their families.

Zungu who was from eSikhaleni township was allegedly murdered by her live-in partner who is still at large. She had just returned from a work shift at Bay Hospital in Richards Bay, northern KwaZulu-Natal, when he stabbed her to death and slit her throat. It is alleged that the culprit notified the sister of the deceased that he was going to kill her and also kill himself.

In delivering her message of condolence to the Zungus, friends and colleagues, the MEC spoke about programmes that have been designed to educate children about toxic relationships, and empower people on how to leave an abusive partner. She also challenged parents and families to assist in driving GBV prevention messaging among boys and girls.
“We have been running a lot of campaigns as the department to equip our children on how to identify or avoid toxic relationships. As families, we also need to play a role in helping our children to escape from these toxic relationships”.

The Masiphephe Network is equally disturbed by the persistent killing of women by their partners.
“This is outrageous. It is very concerning that men still objectify women like Nomkhosi Zungu and believe that they can end their lives so brutally,’’ said Masiphephe Project Director, Sakumzi Ntayiya.
“Something is terribly wrong when men find it easy to resort to violence when faced with issues in relationships, despite many initiatives aimed at changing the status quo. We can only make some progress when all men make it a mission to find amicable and non-violent ways to resolve conflicts” he said.

“We call on people who may have information that could potentially assist the police to apprehend the suspect, and all law enforcement agencies to do their part in ensuring that the culprit is caught and speedily dealt with by the law,” added Ntayiya

The network currently supports the implementation of social behavioural change and advocacy initiatives in partnership with the Gender, Health and Justice Research Unit (GHJRU) as the research and policy advocacy strategic partner and five community based organizations in selected wards in three provinces which are: Gugu Dlamini Foundation (GDF) in Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu in eThekwini Municipality; and Ethembeni Crisis Centre (Ethembeni) in eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal Province; Agisanang Domestic Abuse Prevention and Training (ADAPT) in Alexandra, City of Johannesburg (COJ) in Gauteng Province; Sonke Gender Justice(Sonke) in Diepkloof and Orlando in Soweto in COJ; Project Support Southern Africa (PSASA) in Emalahleni and Mbombela Municipalities in Mpumalanga Province.