IN-DEPTH | Anene Booysen and Reeva Steenkamp murders: Remembering other February 2013 victims

• 16 259 murders were reported by the South African police between April 2012 and March 2013. Of these, around 2 500 would have been categorised as "femicides".
• In Febuary 2013, there were two prominent murders: Anene Booysen in Bredasdorp in the Western Cape, and the shooting of model and celebrity Reeva Steenkamp in Pretoria, Gauteng.
• To mark the 10th anniversary of the murders of Steenkamp and Booysen, the Wits Justice Project has compiled a list of the names of the other women we know about who were murdered during the same month. 

Most murders in South Africa never make it into the news. Those stories that are covered usually receive just a single, short mention. What the media tells us about femicide is, often, not the reality of violence against women but which deaths "count" or are seen to matter most to society.

Ten years ago (between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013, which is the police crime reporting year), a total of 16 259 murders were reported by the South African police. Of this, around 2 500 murders would have been categorised as "femicides" or the murders of adult women (some definitions include women older than 14). Of this number, fewer than 450 of these deaths were covered by the media – less than 20% of all femicides. 

Prominent femicide cases 

In February 2013, there were two particularly prominent femicide cases, which each commanded massive amounts of media, state and public attention. They were, in chronological order, the killing of teenager Anene Booysen in Bredasdorp in the Western Cape and the shooting of model and celebrity Reeva Steenkamp in Pretoria, Gauteng.

The circumstances of the victims, the killers, and the cases could not have been more different – but it was these differences that directly and specifically propelled the murder of Anene (who came from a poor community in a small town) into the national spotlight where, under other circumstances, it would likely have been forgotten after a few days or weeks. 

In contrast, the murder of Reeva Steenkamp – an act committed by a high-profile sportsman (currently applying for parole) – would be expected to receive a lot of coverage and, indeed, it did. Reeva’s killing, on its own, received more coverage than every single other femicide that took place in South Africa that year combined. This is not to say for a moment that Reeva’s horrible death was not deserving of care and attention; more, it highlights how not one other case received the same. 

And this exposes both a numbness and an ambivalence towards violence in South Africa. Every year, sometimes more than once a year, people protest against gender-based violence and say that it must end. And yet, as individuals, as communities, and as a country, we sometimes appear disinterested, even apathetic, because we are so used to it. And, every year, we commemorate the names of the handful of victims who were seen as "worthy" enough to command the media and public's attention – the ones we know by their first names – and we forget the names of many others. 

56 women killed in February, 2013

As a counterpoint to this, and to note the 10th anniversary of the murders of Reeva Steenkamp and Anene Booysen, the Wits Justice Project has compiled a list of the names of the other women that we know about (i.e. those who were reported in the media) that were murdered during the same month. There are 56 femicides on this list. 

This information is based on original research done by Nechama Brodie between 2014 and 2019 and has been updated where new information is available using media reports. Because all of the information contained below is derived from media reports or publicly available court papers, it reflects the limitations of those sources and may repeat inaccuracies, for example spellings of names, or the ages of women. In several cases, the names of the victims or the date of death are not known, and this is reflected in the entry.

2 February 2013

• Anene Booysen

Anene Booysen was raped, mutilated and left for dead at a construction site in Bredasdorp, Western Cape, on 2 February 2013. Although she was rushed to hospital, she died a few hours later as a result of her injuries – specifically, a number of genital injuries caused by a blunt instrument had literally destroyed her perineum (the area between the vagina and the rectum), and had punctured a hole between her pelvic area and her abdomen.  

READ | Anene Booysen's rapist and murderer wants case reopened - report

The 17-year-old had spent the evening before her death drinking with friends at a pub. Anene was seen walking home with, Johannes Kana, who Anene had a crush on. Kana and another Bredasdorp man were arrested days after the killing, but charges against the second man were subsequently dropped. Kana confessed to raping Anene but denied killing her, saying she was alive when he left. He received a double life sentence on 30 October 2013 – what would have been Anene's 18th birthday. 

• Thembeka Nyandeni

Thembeka Nyandeni was shot by ex-boyfriend Mzo Dlamini at her place of work in Pietermaritzburg on 2 February 2013. The 32-year-old cashier was dragged out of the butchery when she slipped and colleagues intervened. The perpetrator fired two shots and fled the scene of the crime, and later attempting suicide. He was taken to hospital and was last reported to be in a critical condition. No further details were available as to whether he was prosecuted for the murder.

3 February 2013

• Faith Msibi

Faith Msibi was shot in her car on 3 February 2013 in Driefontein near Ladysmith, killed by a single shot behind her left ear. The 46-year-old funeral parlour owner was reportedly under investigation for allegedly being involved in a multimillion-rand funeral scheme scam. Four suspects involved in the fraud cases were arrested days before her death, and law enforcement had planned to question the 46-year-old funeral parlour owner. It is unknown whether any suspects were arrested or convicted in connection with her killing.

4 February 2013

• Lungelo Amahle Ntshangase 

Lungelo Amahle Ntshangase was raped and strangled on her way to school on 4 February 2013. The 14-year-old's body was found in bushes in KwaGedleza, Jozini, two days after her death. Themba Khehlembane Nxumalo was arrested in connection with the rape and killing and pleaded guilty to the charges. In June 2013, Nxumalo received a life sentence. 

• Unnamed victim

An unnamed lodge worker was reported to have been found murdered, left on the side of a gravel road in Cullinan, Gauteng, allegedly murdered by her boyfriend. No further information was available. 

5 February 2013 

• Dawnsy Mieny

47-year-old Dawnsy Mieny fell down the Strand Street Quarry on the edge of the Bo-Kaap in central Cape Town after a scuffle with an armed mugger. She died from her injuries on 5 February 2013. The victim was assaulted while on her way to the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert in Cape Town with her daughter. Her daughter was unharmed, and the perpetrator escaped with Mieny's handbag. No arrests were reported. 

7 February, 2013 

• Carmen van der Westhuizen

Mother of two, Carmen van der Westhuizen, was busy unpacking moving boxes on 7 February 2013, when she was attacked in her home. She was raped, hit on the head with a spade or panga, and eventually had her throat slit. The 38-year-old had recently moved to the suburb of Riebeeckstad, Welkom, with her family. Paul Maphasa Nqakalatsane, the gardener of the property, was arrested on the day of the murder and was subsequently convicted of her murder. Nqakalatsane was sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing, and 10 years for sexual assault. 

READ | Mom killed days after moving to new home

• Unnamed victim

An unnamed 40-year-old woman was stabbed to death in Bolata Village, QwaQwa. Her 11-year-old daughter was also killed during the same incident. No further information was available. 

8 February 2013

• Lufunu Ramabulana

The body of Lufunu Ramabulana, of Dzanani Village, Limpopo, was found in a shallow grave near the Mphephu Resort on 8 February 2013. Police told reporters that Lufunu appeared to have been strangled, and that she had been mutilated. Her right shoe was found some 300 metres away from her grave. It is unknown whether any suspects were arrested in connection with her killing.

• Rendani Khumela

23-year-old Rendani Khumela was hacked to death with a panga by her boyfriend on 8 February 2013. Rendani was walking to school in Vhufuli, Limpopo, when she was ambushed. Her boyfriend subsequently died by suicide and was found hanging in his room. Rendani was survived by a four-year-old daughter. 

9 February 2013

• Nonzwakazi Adam

Nonzwakazi Adam, 38, and her partner Landi January were assaulted with what may have been a pick-axe handle at their home in Joza Township, Grahamstown, on 9 February 2013. Nozwakazi died at the scene, while Landi died later in hospital from his injuries – police confirmed that his tongue had been cut out during the assault. Despite repeated calls from police and family members for assistance, no arrests were ever made.

• Lorraine Adams

63-year-old Lorraine Adams was stabbed to death in her Bethulie home, alongside her husband Gordon, in the early hours of 9 February 2013. Six suspects were arrested, four of them minors (aged between 15 and 17 years at the time of the murder). Tshepo Ramatlama, Sphiwe Sakman, Paseka Snyman and three unnamed suspects had attacked the sleeping couple with pangas and knives, issuing 41 wounds between the two victims. The suspects were arrested on 15 February 2013 and subsequently charged with housebreaking with aggravating circumstances, and with two counts of murder. They all pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to an effective 19 years in prison. Four of the perpetrators were sentenced to an additional three years for the illegal possession of a firearm, and six months for the illegal possession of ammunition.

• Unnamed Victim

On 9 February 2013, a 40-year-old woman was shot dead in her home in Olievenhoutbosch, Centurion. She was murdered in front of her 12-year-old daughter. The perpetrator, who was the victim's ex-boyfriend, and who she had a court order against, took his own life after the killing.

READ | ANALYSIS: Nechama Brodie - Apathy, bureaucracy and ego: Why SA fails to make progress against GBV

• Jette Jacobs

Australian Jette Jacobs was found dead in Johannesburg on 9 February 2013. Jette had flown to South Africa to visit her Nigerian boyfriend, Jesse Orowo Omokoh, whom she had been dating online for four years. During that time, she had sent him at least £50 000 (around R650 000.00 at the then-exchange rate). It is believed the 67-year-old was administered a deadly dose of medication. Her money and belongings were stolen. Australian law enforcement suspected she was a victim of fraud, and Nigerian police later arrested Omokoh and charged him with deception. It is unknown whether he was convicted .

• Monica Bloukop

Monica Bloukop was killed on 9 February 2013, after she was brutally raped, beaten, and had her throat slit in a field in Griquastad, Northern Cape. Four men, including a minor who was 15 years old at the time of the killing, were arrested a few days after Monica's body was discovered in the veld. Charges against three of the men were later withdrawn. Although the State’s expert witnesses indicated that Monica’s assault and murder could not have been committed by a single perpetrator, ultimately only the minor – later identified as Nico Boom – was tried for the killing. Boom was convicted of murder on 16 November 2018. 

10 February 2013

• Popi Simphiwe Maseko

Metro cop Popi Simphiwe Maseko was shot dead in Brakpan by off-duty South African Police Services (SAPS) constable Siviwe Ndyoki on 10 February 2013. Ndyoki was stopped for driving under the influence and was taken by Popi and another Metro colleague to Pholosong Hospital for a [blood alcohol] test. Upon arrival at the hospital, Ndyoki drew his weapon and began shooting, hitting Maseko in the back of the head. Ndyoki fled the scene, but turned himself in the following day. He was convicted for the 27-year-old's murder in December 2014.

• Nomthandazo Mahlangu

Fifteen-year-old Nomthandazo Mahlangu was found stabbed to death in an empty yard between houses in Bronkhorstpruit on 10 February 2013. She was returning home from her boyfriend's house in the early hours of the morning. Her boyfriend was taken in for questioning, but released. No further information is available.

11 February 2013

• Ge-Audrey Green

19-year-old Ge-Audrey Green was strangled by Charlton Douw in his flatlet in Kraaifontein on 11 February 2013. Her decomposing body was found two days later in the drawer under Douw’s bed. Douw testified that, during consensual intercourse, Green began screaming, and out of fear that his grandparents would hear, Douw strangled her. He was arrested on the day Green was found and subsequently entered into a plea deal with the State. During the court case against Douw, it emerged that he had attempted to kill another woman, Ester Sokupe, four months earlier, also by strangulation. Douw was sentenced to 15 years for Green's murder and 10 years for Sokupe’s attempted murder. These charges run concurrently.

READ | Cape Town man who hid body under bed gets 15 years

• Govindamma Gounder

69-year-old Govindamma Gounder was found strangled and stabbed to death in her wood-and-iron home in Verulam on 11 February 2013, a few days after returning home from visiting family in Gauteng. A 34-year-old man appeared in court in connection with her murder later that month, but no further information was reported. 

12 February 2013

• Zamile Zikhali

Zamile Zikhali was raped and stabbed to death on her way to school on 12 February 2013 in Jozini, KwaZulu-Natal. The 14-year-old's body was found in the bushes six days later. Her killer, Jabulani Gumbi, was arrested on 21 February 2013. In March 2013, he pleaded guilty to robbery (for which he was sentenced to five years imprisonment) and to raping and killing Zamile (for which he received two life sentences). 

• Phumeza Madikane

Phumeza Madikane ran a public phone service from the home she shared in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni, with her husband, Stanley Madikane. On 12 February 2013, Stanley stabbed his 38-year-old wife to death, and hacked off her head. He told their three children that keeping their mother's death a secret would bring the family riches, and a new mother. Phumeza's 14-year-old child escaped to tell the police, who arrested Madikane on the day of the murder. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2014.

• Khakhathi Makhavhu

31-year-old Khakhathi Makhavhu was hacked to death by her 54-year-old husband Elias Likhanya, in Tsianda village, Limpopo, on 12 February 2013. Likhanya, a father of six, allegedly also raped his daughter-in-law before he fled the scene. His body was later found hanging from a tree.

13 February 2013

• Jo-Anne Diane van Schalkwyk

Jo-Anne Diane van Schalkwyk was killed in Atlantis, Western Cape, on 13 February 2013. She was 18 years old. Jo-Anne's killing (in which she was bashed in the head with a rock) was part of a spate of femicides in the area. Eon Adams was arrested in connection with the murder. It is unknown whether he was prosecuted for the crime.

• Philisiwe Duma

Philisiwe Duma was killed in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal, on 13 February 2013. The 25-year-old pie shop worker was hacked to death with an axe by her ex-boyfriend, security worker Sizwe Shange, with whom she shared a daughter. Shange died by suicide. 

14 February 2013

• Kate Legodi

Creche owner Kate Legodi, who was in her 70s, was hacked to death by her son and stepson on 14 February 2013 in Winterveld, Gauteng. Stanley Legodi (her son) was arrested on the day of the killing, while David Kgatle (her stepson) was arrested several months later after being on the run. The two perpetrators were convicted of rape and murder on 20 April 2016 and sentenced to life imprisonment – these sentences run concurrently. 

• Reeva Steenkamp

Model Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead by her boyfriend, celebrity sportsman Oscar Pistorius, at his home in Silver Lake, Pretoria East, on Valentine's Day, 2013. Pistorius was arrested the following day and, after a trial and appeal, was sentenced to 13 years for her killing on 6 July 2016. 

READ | Reeva Steenkamp's father meets with convicted killer Oscar Pistorius

• Mbali Nxumalo

Mbali Nxumalo was killed in the flat she shared with her boyfriend in Durban on 14 February 2013. The 28-year-old metro cop died at the hands of boyfriend, Sanele Ntozakhe (also a metro cop), after he shot her eight times with his service pistol. Ntozakhe subsequently drove off and shot himself, dying by suicide. He was found the following day under a bridge, but his firearm was missing. 

• Unnamed Victim

An unnamed woman was found dead in Folweni, KwaZulu-Natal, on 14 February 2013. It is believed she was shot by her boyfriend after neighbours heard the couple arguing. The suspect called his brother after her killing to notify him before taking a taxi to his home in Richmond, where he hanged himself.

15 February 2013

• Cynthia (Surname Unknown)

A woman known only as "Cynthia" was found dead after being thrown off the 10th floor of a building on Market Street, Johannesburg, on 15 February 2013. The woman was allegedly raped and killed, then thrown from the building. Two men – the victim's boyfriend and his friend – were reported to have been at the crime scene. The boyfriend allegedly confessed to throwing Cynthia's clothes in a nearby dustbin. A journalist confirmed the case via CCTV footage and a police report. No further details on arrests nor convictions are available.

• Nompucuko Toni

SAPS constable Nompucuko Toni was killed at her home in Fort Gale, Eastern Cape, on 15 February 2013. Nompucuko was shot dead by her husband, Mphuthumi Toni (a metro cop), in front of their two-year-old child. The perpetrator attempted suicide, but survived and was placed under police guard in hospital. He was convicted for the 30-year-old's killing on 27 November 2020.

16 February 2013

• Fisani Sithole and Zinhle Kunene

Fisani Sithole, 42, and Zinhle Kunene, 35, were killed by Fisani's husband, Mzonjani Sithole, in Westville, Durban, on 16 February 2013. After allegedly arguing with his wife Fisani, Mzonjani shot both her and Zinhle, his mistress (who lived in the helper's quarters of his house), in front of Fisani and Mzonjani's two teenage daughters. Sithole died by suicide.

• Sibongile Hazel Nkomo

Sibongile Hazel Nkomo was stabbed and strangled on 16 February 2013. After being missing for four weeks, her body was discovered in a shallow grave in her yard in Mfuleni, Western Cape. The 42-year-old's body was wrapped in a white plastic bag and buried under her two deceased dogs to mask the smell of her decomposing body. Her common-law husband, Mzwamadoda Michael Mfazwe, initially aided police in her discovery, but subsequently ran away. Mfazwe was arrested in March and later convicted of her killing.

17 February 2013

• Buyi Joyce Radebe

Buyi Joyce Radebe was shot by her nephew, Lungisi Mdluli, at her husband's graveside in New Castle, KwaZulu-Natal on 17 February 2013. Radebe and Mdluli allegedly had a dispute over where her husband’s funeral should have been held. Mdluli, who feared that the 53-year-old was soliciting hitmen to kill him, shot Radebe in the back at her husband's funeral and injured one mourner. Radebe attempted suicide but was stopped and beaten by mourners. He was arrested and pleaded guilty, being sentenced to 20 years for murder and 10 years for attempted murder on 2 April 2013.

• Rebecca Shwaba

Rebecca Shwaba was strangled in her home in Phillipi, Western Cape, on 17 February 2013. Rebecca was killed by her tik-addicted son who, after her killing, went to drink at a local tavern. The 55-year-old woman was found with a necktie around her neck. The perpetrator, who had previous shoplifting convictions, was arrested on 19 February 2013. Police were investigating the possible rape of the victim. No further details on the case were reported.

18 February 2013

• Johannah Nomqibelo Mbonani

Johannah Nomqibelo Mbonani was beaten to death on 18 February 2013 in Kwaggafontein, Mpumalanga, after she and a group of other women had gone to a local police officer's house to ask about an attack on her cattle herder. SAPS member David Mphikeleli Ndlovu was arrested in connection with the 73-year-old's murder. No further information is available on this case. 

• Melandri Bukkies

Melandri Bukkies was stabbed to death in her parents' home in Atlantis in the Western Cape on 18 February 2013. A suspect, Bukkies's former boyfriend, was arrested on 20 February 2013, however, the case was subsequently withdrawn due to his mental condition. The 20-year-old victim had a court interdict against the suspect.

READ | OPINION: Bafana Khumalo & Rumbie Elizabeth Chidoori - Lack of GBV interventions are costing women's lives

• Hester Salmans

Hester Salmans was hit and burned to death by her husband, James Salmans, on 18 February 2013 in Sedgefield, Western Cape. The perpetrator also attempted to murder his 14-year-old stepdaughter, whom he had previously raped. James Salmans was arrested on 19 February 2013, and subsequently convicted for the 65-year-old woman's killing. In October 2014, he was sentenced to 15 years for rape and life imprisonment for Hester's assault and murder. 

19 February 2013

• Unnamed Victim

A 50-year-old unnamed woman was found dead in Tedstoneville, Germiston, on 19 February 2013. No further information was reported.

20 February 2013

• Nomonde Pikwayo

Nomonde Pikwayo, a senior official at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha, was stabbed to death at her home in the Eastern Cape on 20 February 2013. Her son was arrested a week after her death as he had been seen driving his mother's car, but it is not clear if he was charged with any crime.

22 February 2013

• Kgobane Eleanor Thobejane

81-year-old Kgobane Eleanor Thobejane was shot dead in Sekororo, Limpopo, on 22 February 2013, when her son Patrick Thobejane accused his mother of bewitching him. Thobejane also shot and wounded his sister. He later died by suicide.

• Unnamed Victim

A woman in her 20s was burned to death in an abandoned house in Lerome Village, North West Province, on 22 February 2013. She was found under corrugated iron sheets after neighbours alerted police to a foul smell. Her body was burned beyond recognition. No information is available on arrests or convictions.

24 February 2013

• Unnamed Victim

An unnamed 16-year-old student was found dead on 24 February 2013. Her body was dumped in a field in Siviwe Township, Eastern Cape. The victim was sexually assaulted. Two suspects were arrested in connection with her killing, but no information is available as to whether they were charged.

25 February 2013

• Zuzeka Sojona

Zuzeka Sojona was stabbed and beaten to death in Kanana Informal Settlement, Gugulethu, on 25 February 2013. The 34-year-old was found between shacks with multiple stab wounds and a head injury. It is believed she was murdered in a different location, and her body had been moved after death. A murder docket opened was opened, but no further information is available.

• Sharon Nkgampele

18-year-old Sharon Nkgampele was strangled to death on 25 February 2013. Her body was found in a field in Tzaneen, Limpopo, by a woman walking to work. No further information is available.

26 February 2013

• Unnamed Victim

An unnamed 34-year-old victim was found stabbed to death in Butterworth, Eastern Cape, on 26 February 2013. The victim's brother was arrested in connection with the crime, but no further information was reported. 

• Sinodia Schutt

Sinodia Schutt, 32, was beaten and stabbed to death in Saldanha, in the Western Cape, on 26 February 2013. Three men – Marlon van Wyk, Sharif Padayachee, and Jerome Januarie – were charged with her murder. Charges against a fourth man were dropped. Van Wyk pleaded guilty in June 2014, and claimed that he and Januarie had been instructed to murder Schutt by Padayachee. Both Van Wyk and Januarie (who also entered into a plea agreement with the State) received sentences of 25 years. Padayachee was later found not guilty. 

READ | Man jailed for killing woman with panga

28 February 2013

• Thandiswa Qubuda

On the night of 20 January 2013, 28-year-old Thandiswa Qubuda was gang raped and brutally beaten in Fingo Village, Makhanda. The attack on Thandiswa was interrupted when neighbours heard her screams, but it took four hours for medical help to arrive. When Thandiswa arrived in hospital she had been so badly beaten, she was initially entered as a car crash victim. She never recovered from her injuries, and died in hospital six weeks later on 28 February 2013. A number of suspects were arrested following the attack, but were released due to a lack of evidence. To date, there is no indication that anyone has been charged with the rape, assault and murder. 

• Bettie Thenza

33-year-old Bettie Thenza was raped and smothered to death by her boyfriend Mbuyiselo Fish in Kimberly on 28 February 2013. Fish had also wrapped the deceased's body in tape and attempted to put her down a drain. After the killing, he reportedly discussed the rape and murder with men at a nearby tavern. In September 2015, Fish was convicted of two counts of rape, one count of murder, and a charge of assault with the intention to cause grievous bodily harm. In November 2015, he received three life sentences, and two additional years for the assault. 

• Londiwe Mngomezulu

Londiwe Mngomezulu was beaten to death with a knobkerrie by her boyfriend, Bongani Khumalo, in Esikhawini, KwaZulu-Natal, on 28 February 2013. Khumalo was arrested after the 22-year-old woman was reported missing, but was subsequently released. Having initially buried Londiwe's body in his backyard, Khumalo exhumed her, and reburied her in a forest with the help of a friend. He was rearrested and charged with murder. Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the trial, he eventually admitted to killing her and was sentenced to 26 years in prison in November 2013. The friend who had allegedly assisted with moving and reburying the body was acquitted.

Dates of death unknown

The following murders were reported in the media in February 2013, but either did not include detailed information about the incident, or the original newspaper articles were no longer available to review:

• Johanna Mashangu was murdered near Lantana Road, Germiston, in February 2013. 

• An unnamed woman died in February 2013 after being thrown out of a taxi on the corner of Kenmere Road and Louis Botha Ave, Yeoville.

• An unnamed elderly woman was killed in Horison, Roodepoort, in February 2013.

• An unnamed woman was murdered at Inchanga, KwaZulu-Natal, in February 2013.

• An unnamed elderly woman was stabbed to death in Mabopane in February 2013.  

• Nosipho Mbatha was stabbed to death at Inanda Dam in February 2013, allegedly by her cousin Hloniphile Ngcobo and neighbour Nkosenhle Majozi. Press reports at the time indicated that Ngcobo suspected her cousin was blackmailing her after Ngcobo had allegedly used Majozi to attempt to kill her (Ngcobo's) married lover's wife – a "hit" that had ended in the murder of the wrong woman, killing a teacher at the same school where the intended target had worked. No further information is available about the matter.  

- Tannur Anders is a graduate of the Wits Centre for Journalism and was the recipient of the 2022 Patrick Laurence Award for top student. 

*The Wits Justice Project is a public interest justice journalism programme housed at the Wits Centre for Journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand.