Lenasia South is in mourning after the horrific loss of 32-year-old Charlene Shabangu, who was brutally stabbed multiple times and then run over by her partner on 2 September. The attack, carried out outside her own home, left her fighting for her life, but tragically, she succumbed to her injuries in hospital. Her death has left a family and community shattered and demanding justice.
Her partner has been arrested and is scheduled for a second court appearance in November.
Charlene’s heartbroken father, Clifford Shabangu, told GLOBE POST: “My daughter was stabbed repeatedly by the man she loved, and then he ran over her with his car twice before driving away. She died in the hospital the next day. This all happened in front of her son and another young grandchild, right in our yard. I can’t put into words the pain of seeing my daughter taken from us like this. My heart is shattered.”
This tragedy is part of a disturbing national pattern. According to the South African Medical Research Council, nearly six in 10 women murdered in the country are killed by intimate partners, with a femicide rate of 10.6 per 100,000 women – almost five times higher than the global average.
In the three months leading up to September, South African police recorded 957 female murders, 106 of which were classified as domestic violence-related. Despite robust legal frameworks, conviction rates for gender-based violence (GBV) remain low.
A report from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research in New South Wales, Australia, revealed that fewer than 10% of sexual assaults reported to police result in a conviction, highlighting systemic challenges in prosecuting GBV cases.
Charlene’s death underscores the urgent need for systemic change to protect women and ensure justice. Her family and the community continue to demand accountability and reform to prevent further tragedies.
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