Beloved community figure and women’s rights activist, Hlengiwe Gambushe, died in hospital on Friday last week, after suffering from a relentless headache, said the family.
The passionate community worker from Mthwalume became famous on the South Coast after July 2020 when she led hundreds of women to the streets of Mtwalume and marched to the local police station to demand action after three women had at the time been found murdered in the area.
Gambushe’s family described her as a pioneer and as a person who acquired a towering status in the hearts and minds of countless South Coasters through her efforts in fighting against women and child abuse.
Speaking to the Fever, founder of the organisation, Women of Mthwalume, Nombuso Sibisi, said no one will ever match Gambushe’s passion of keeping the women of Mthwalume safe.
Sibisi said if it were not for Gambushe supporting the idea of instilling pressure on the police to find the serial killer in Mthwalume in 2020, the number of women found dead in the area would have been far worse.
“Funny enough, I met Hlengiwe in June 2020 through a Facebook group. She had responded to something I had posted about the worrying killings of women plaguing our area. I wanted us to demonstrate and express our anger, only a few people responded and Hlengiwe was one of them. She supported my initiative and we worked together ever since,” said Sibisi.
She added that she will mostly miss Gambushe’s drive, passion, and eagerness to solve issues faced by women of Mthwalume.
Gambushe had worked closely with the Fever when it came to reporting murder cases in Mthwalume, she told the publication towards the end of 2022 that she was still receiving death threats and how she constantly lived in fear of her life because of the work she did.
Meanwhile, Sibisi said women in Mthwalume will meet in KwaMgwaba, Mthwalume on Friday to accompany Gambushe’s body to her home.
Also, the Inkatha Freedom Party in Ugu shared details of Gambushe’s funeral, saying that the funeral will be on Saturday, January 14 at KwaMpisane Sportsfield at 9am.
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