Police arrested a suspect after a 44-year-old woman was shot and paralysed at KwaDukuza’s SuperSpar Centre on May 18.

What began as a routine shopping trip for the Zimbabwean domestic worker – who works in Ballito – and her husband turned into tragedy when a bullet struck her in the spine.

The couple, who have requested anonymity but are known to the Courier, had gone to buy prepaid electricity. She left to fetch a trolley and moments later, a gunshot rang out.

“I heard a gunshot. I turned around and saw her lying on the floor. I rushed to her, but I was told not to touch her and to wait for the ambulance,” her husband recalled.

Doctors later found that the bullet had lodged in her spinal cord. She is now paralysed from the waist down and confined to bed. Her doctors have deemed surgery too risky for now.

“Every two hours, I need to wake up and turn her, otherwise she could get bed sores or an infection. It is very difficult. Our children need their mother. We are just trying to survive each day,” her husband said.

KwaDukuza police confirmed a 26-year-old suspect was arrested on May 30. iLembe police spokesperson Priya Nunkumar-Bukum said he was charged with three counts of attempted murder and discharging a firearm in a public place. A firearm was seized and sent for ballistic testing.

The man last appeared in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court last Wednesday. The case remains under investigation.

Although police made an arrest, the victim’s family say they have received no updates since a detective took a statement in hospital.

“No one has come to see us. We have no idea what is happening with the case,” said the husband.

SPAR Group spokesperson Mpudi Maubane confirmed the incident occurred in the centre’s common area, not inside the store, and said it did not involve SPAR security.

“This was a distressing event. While unrelated to the store, both the SPAR Group and the SUPERSPAR KwaDukuza team remain committed to supporting the community. The safety and wellbeing of our customers, shoppers, employees and colleagues will always be a top priority. We are also engaging closely with the centre landlords to help improve safety and security in the area,” said Maubane.

As the legal process unfolds, the family waits for justice and support while facing the daily reality of life forever changed.

*This article was amended after it was published. [The headline was changed from ‘KwaDukuza domestic worker’ to ‘Ballito domestic worker’]. While the subject of this article does reside in KwaDukuza municipality, her place of work is Ballito.

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