Thanks to the determination of a woman from Khutsong’s family, her boyfriend could not escape after her murder.

According to Gloria Ngubane, her daughter Genuka Nonsikilelo Ngubane (32), known by many as Zelda, was visiting some of her friends in Khayalethu in Khutsong on January 24. She was still relaxing with them when her boyfriend, Seun Bangube, came to fetch her to prepare supper.

“Some of her neighbours said they later heard arguing inside the house. At some point during the night, they also heard a whistle, but were too afraid to go out,” says Gloria. The next morning, Zelda’s boyfriend called one of his friends to help him with something at his house. When he arrived, he allegedly saw Zelda’s body and realised her boyfriend wanted help to move her body. She had been beaten and stabbed and had apparently locked herself in the bathroom to try to stay safe, but this did not help.

The friend claimed that he was not strong enough to help and needed to go and get more friends to help with the gruesome task. When the boyfriend realised that his friend was gone for some time, he started panicking, locked the house with Zelda’s body inside, and tried to escape. Neighbours later went to check on Zelda after the previous night’s whistle and called the police when they realised something was terribly wrong. After police discovered her body inside the house and realised that Bangube had fled, her family asked for help to trace him.

According to Gloria, community members in Ventersdorp recognised him and called the police after assaulting him. He was brought back to Khutsong and appeared in the Khutsong Magistrate’s Court on February 3. A large group of supporters, including activists of the gender-based violence brigade, gathered outside the court during his second court appearance on February 10. He did not receive bail and the case was postponed to March 11.

“She was sweet, humble, down to earth, and respected everyone,” says Gloria. Zelda was so loved by colleagues at Carletonville Hospital, where she worked as an intern, that they held a special memorial service for her. She was murdered on her daughter’s tenth birthday, who is luckily staying with her grandmother.

What makes the family even more upset is that her boyfriend was allegedly out on bail for another murder at the time of her killing.