A woman was murdered in the Bester area of Inanda Area 10 after a man allegedly attempted to rape her in public. According to the South African tabloid, Lodi, onlookers did not intervene during the attack.
The report, circulating on social media, states: “Bantu bakwa Bester eNanda e Area 10 ngizwa kuthiwa kunomfana obezama ukudlwengula usisi phambi kwabantu wagcina esemhlinza wambulala phambi kwabantu, nathula ngoba nimsaba? Usisi Lo kuthiwa ungowase Eastern Cape…ngeke ngimfake ngoba angazi umndeni sewuzwile yini.”
This translates to: “People of Bester in Inanda Area 10, I hear that there is a man who tried to rape a woman in front of people and ended up slitting her throat and killing her in front of people, and you kept quiet because you are afraid of him? It is said that this woman is from the Eastern Cape…I will not post her because I don’t know if the family has heard.”
The incident highlights the ongoing issues of violence against women in South Africa1. Sexual violence remains a pervasive issue1. In 2022, more than 31,000 rapes were documented, and many incidents go unreported due to societal stigma and a lack of trust in law enforcement.
The incident also raises concerns about community vigilantism due to a failing criminal justice system6. Inanda, a township north of Durban, has a high rate of murder and rape cases