Sibusiso Lawrence. Picture: Screengrab of video.
South Africa is losing its fight against gender-based violence (GBV), experts warn after some social media users expressed their support for a KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) man who allegedly killed his ex-girlfriend and posted about it.
Sibusiso Lawrence Ntaka from Scottburgh in KZN, allegedly stabbed Nontobeko Cele, 25, and dumped her body in the middle of the gravel road on Tuesday night.
Her body was found with several stab wounds and a broken knife was found next to her body.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said Cele’s body was found on Wednesday morning.
“A man who had confessed to killing a woman on a social media video that went viral. The man was found hanging on a tree on Wednesday morning at Malangeni area in Umzinto, a short distance from where he killed the woman.”
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In the Facebook video, Ntaka justified his actions, claiming he spent a lot of money taking care of Cele, while she ended up leaving him after receiving money from the Road Accident Fund.
In his confession, he also said Cele made him raise a child that was not his.
Several people on Facebook and X supported Ntaka and blamed Cele for provoking Ntaka.
“The main focus must be on the root cause, not the result. Let us first condemn the cheating which in most cases leads to these very sad GBV cases,” a Facebook user wrote.
Another post said Ntaka did a good thing because he raised the woman’s baby, but she left him when she was about to get her own money.
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However, advocate Brenda Madumise-Pajibo, director of feminist organisation Wise4Afrika, said South Africa was losing the fight against GBV.
“As a country, we are still not winning the war against GBV because our outreach programmes are so selective, meaning that sometimes we are looking at who committed the crime and, if we find that it is a famous person, we don’t even try to take action against them,” said Madumise-Pajibo.
“Look at how people supported Chris Brown’s concert at FNB Stadium over the weekend.
“They did not care about the fact that he previously faced GBV charges. No wonder we see people on social media supporting the man who killed his girlfriend.
“They are saying all sorts of things trying to justify his actions by accusing the victim of ill-treating him. Every time there is a GBV case, society always talks about something the woman did which angered the man.
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“No one is supposed to kill a person no matter what happens. In this case, the man felt like he owned the lady since he was taking care of her.
“Taking care of your partner does not mean you can take her life anytime you feel like.”
Madumise-Pajibo pleaded with men to seek professional help to control their anger.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu condemned Ntaka’s actions and said the shocking incident was a grim reminder of the ongoing scourge of GBV in society.
“Such acts of violence are a betrayal of our shared humanity and have no place in our nation,” he said.
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“The act of this individual having taken his own life ends the immediate legal pursuit of justice, but it does not diminish the severity of his actions or the pain inflicted on the victim, the victim’s family, friends, and community, including his own family.”
Mchunu has urged families and friends to assist those who display signs of mental illness by alerting social workers and other authorities.
Not InMyName International secretary-general Themba Masango also condemned those who sided with Ntaka on social media.
“Justifying violence and murder by suggesting that the alleged infidelity or behaviour of the victim warranted such an extreme reaction is utterly reprehensible,” said Masango.
“This misogynistic mindset is a manifestation of a deeply ingrained societal issue, where women are held accountable for men’s emotional responses and choices. It not only diminishes the value of human life but also shifts accountability away from the perpetrator.
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“This rhetoric implies that the victim deserved to be murdered. Such rhetoric perpetuates detrimental stereotypes and hinders efforts to combat gender-based violence and femicide. Moreover, it encourages men to eschew accountability for their actions.”
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