Pamela Mabini, a prominent gender-based violence (GBV) and community activist was gunned down outside her home in Gqeberha on Friday, 7 March 2025.
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The Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation (UMF) has condemned the murder of prominent Gqeberha gender-based violence (GBV) activist Pamela Mabini, who was gunned down outside her home in Gqeberha.
The foundation, started following the murder of UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana, said Mabini's senseless murder was a devastating loss to her family, the community, and the broader fight against GBV and feminism in South Africa.
Mrwetyana's rapist and killer, South African Post Office worker Luyanda Botha was sentenced to three life sentences after admitting to the crime.
As a community leader, Mabini dedicated her life to supporting survivors of GBV. As the founder of the Maro Foundation, she tirelessly worked to uplift society's most vulnerable, providing shelter, clothing, and food to those in need. She fearlessly stood against perpetrators of GBV, attending court cases and demanding accountability.
"UMF condemns this heinous act in the strongest terms and calls for the swift arrest and prosecution of those responsible. We urge law enforcement authorities to ensure that justice is served, as no activist should have to pay the ultimate price for their work in making South Africa a safer and more just society," the foundation said.
"Pamela’s murder on Friday, 7 March 2025 is yet another painful reminder of the persistent scourge of GBV in our country. It often feels as though, as a nation, we take two steps forward in the fight against GBV, only to be dragged three steps backward. The persistence of these violent crimes underscores the urgent need for continued and strengthened action to eradicate GBVF from our society.
The foundation noted President Cyril Ramaphosa's signing of the National Council on GBVF Bill on 24 May 2024 and his call to men nationwide during the August 2024 Women’s Day commemorations to take an active role in ending GBVF. "These measures must be matched with decisive action and implementation. The government must ensure the full execution of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, ensuring that policies translate into tangible protections for women, activists, and vulnerable communities."
The foundation said a the cycle of violence can only be broken through a collective effort from all sectors of society—government, law enforcement, civil society, and communities.
Weekend Argus