The horrific murder of a waitress by her ex in Ballito last week sent shockwaves through the town.
Siphokazi Khumalo, 32, a waitress at Turn ‘n Tender restaurant in the Ballito Junction, was attacked and her throat cut by her ex-boyfriend last Wednesday afternoon.
According to reports from bystanders, before the attack Khumalo was sitting on a couch in the restaurant.
Umhlali SAPS spokesperson Captain Vinny Pillay said her ex saw her there and flew into a jealous rage. Eyewitnesses said she went to the bathroom and her ex followed.
Ballito resident Pierre Welgemoed heard screams from the toilets and two girls came running out shouting that a man was hitting a woman.
He told his son to stay where he was and ran into the bathrooms with another man.
When he pushed open the door to the stall, the attacker stepped out with his arm around Khumalo’s throat.
“I shouted for him to get out of the stall and that’s when I saw the knife. In that split second I hesitated and my family popped into my head,” Welgemoed told the Courier.
The attacker then brought the knife down, stabbing Khumalo in the neck and yanking the blade back.
Welgemoed said she grabbed at her throat and toppled over.
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“The look in her eyes in those last split seconds haunts me. I cannot stop thinking that I should have done something more. I should have tried to grab the knife, I should have jumped into the cubi – cle and tackled him, I should have done some – thing.”
The killer then walked calmly out and presented his hands as though to be cuffed. Welgemoed and another man grabbed him and held him until mall security and police took over.
“I rushed back into the toilet and tried to help her. There was blood everywhere and I was just trying to put pressure on her neck and wrap it with toilet paper.”
She died a few minutes later. Welgemoed said he took heart from the rapid response of paramedics and mall security as well as from the public.
“Nobody just walked away, people were ready to help within seconds. I think that shows the true strength of our community, I still believe there are more good people than bad in our corner of the world and we should not let a tragedy like this make us forget that.”
The murder has highlighted the ongoing scourge of violence against women in South Africa. Shehana Kajee, leader of the DA Women’s Network (DAWN) in KZN said violence against women was a growing problem that government needed to take more seriously.
“We cannot just stand up against violence against women during the 16 days of activism, it needs to be 365 days a year,” Kajee said.
“DAWN will be following the case and opposing bail. We believe he should be handed the maximum sentence.”
Meanwhile, Dr Albertina Luthuli, daughter of the late struggle icon Chief Albert Luthuli, condemned this senseless act of violence.
She told the Courier the ongoing violence against woman in our communities was extremely worrying and that she believed government was not prioritising this enough.
“At the very core of this problem lies the entrenched culture of patriarchy,” Dr Luthuli said.
“People keep saying patriarchy is part of their culture but that is just not good enough. Black, white, Indian: it does not matter, as we move forward together as a new South Africa we must leave behind those cultural beliefs that do not live up to our constitution.”
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Dr Luthuli said South Africans must build a new culture together and called on the courts to quickly deal with this matter so that Khumalo’s family could get justice.
“I have gone beyond anger and frustration and I think all women in our Rainbow Nation feel the same. We are living with these beasts among us.
“My father – Chief Albert Luthuli – condemned patriarchy as he knew it could interfere with creating a new, just South Africa,” she said.
Siphokazi Khumalo is survived by two young children.
The suspect, who is 30 years old, appeared in KwaDukuza magistrate court on Friday and was remanded in custody.
He will appear again on Thursday for bail application.
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