THIS Women’s Day, Renegades Search and Rescue’s Dawn Gounden has issued a heartfelt appeal to the public, authorities, and relevant stakeholders to recommit to the fight against violence, particularly the violence that targets women, children, the elderly, and other vulnerable members of society.

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Her call comes exactly two years after the brutal killings of Zanele Mbuso and Monica Xulu, who were murdered at an Umgababa daycare centre where they worked, on August 9, 2023, Women’s Day. Their bodies were discovered days later in a shallow grave nearby. A 60-year-old man, employed as a security guard at the centre, was arrested, tried, and sentenced to two life terms for the crime.

Despite the heavy sentence, Gounden said the families of the victims remain deeply affected, and justice has felt elusive.

“Their deaths remain a stark and painful reminder of the gender-based violence that continues to claim lives, even among the most vulnerable in our society. To this day, their families continue to struggle with the devastating loss. The emotional scars have not faded, and healing has been slow. What was once a time for celebration and recognition of women has become an annual reminder of grief and unanswered questions,” she said.

Gounden emphasised that the memory of Mbuso and Xulu endures through ongoing calls for justice and meaningful change.

“Let their lives not be forgotten, and let their deaths not be in vain,” she said.

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