Although International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 8, many women in our area still have their lives cut short due to crime.

The family of one such victim shared their story with the Herald this week.

The mother of the late Ntswakhi Hobson (31) got worried when she did not hear anything from her daughter on the night of March 2. When the mother, Sarah, and two male relatives went to the house that her daughter shared with her boyfriend in Khutsong’s Joe Slovo informal settlement, they discovered her lifeless naked body lying in a pool of blood.

They later heard from other residents that Ntswakhi and her boyfriend fought at a tavern the previous night.

The police in Khutsong opened a murder case and later arrested her boyfriend, Restshidistswe Khumisi (25). The accused already appeared in the Khutsong Magistrate’s Court on March 4. He remains behind bars until March 13 for a bail application.

According to the deceased’s sister, Maserame Monare, Ntswakhi was loved and they will miss her very much.

“She always tried to help her children instead of looking after herself. She is not only a crime statistic but was a wonderful person and we will always remember her,” said Maserame.

The family is particularly sad because Ntswakhi’s two children, Keyabetwe (6) and Mphile (3), will grow up without their loving mother.