The Eastern Cape has again become the center of gender-based violence (GBV) concerns following the brutal murder of Nogcinile Mtirara, a respected matriarch of the local royal family, and a separate incident involving the rape of five young women.
This area currently reports the highest GBV rates in South Africa.
Lesley Anne Foster, Director of the Masimanyane Women’s Support Centre, described the ongoing violence as a “spate of murders and attacks” gripping the province.
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The five women, all students aged 20 to 25, were reportedly attacked, raped, and robbed at gunpoint in Mqhekezweni, just outside Mthatha.
Mtirara had previously alerted authorities to escalating sexual violence and incidents of extortion in her community, where some women reportedly pay “protection fees” to avoid attacks.
Foster notes that many women live in fear, reluctant to report these crimes.
The incident, along with recent killings in Ngobozana, underscores the urgent need for intervention and support to address GBV and ensure community safety in the Eastern Cape.
