The Polokwane Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo has postponed the case of five men accused of killing two businesswomen to the second of next month.
Forty-six-year-old Makoena Leshabane and her friend Tebogo Mphuti were shot and killed execution-style in Polokwane earlier this month.
One of the suspects, 56-year-old Stanley Leshabane, is the husband of one of the deceased. The suspected mastermind was arrested in the hospital where he was admitted after allegedly drinking poison following the funeral.
Provincial Police Spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe says they have a water-tight case against the suspects.
One of the suspects is said to be the husband of one of the victims.
Mabusela-Leshabane and Mphuthi were gunned down execution style while on a business expedition at an industrial site.
Gender Activist Adele Van Der Linde led the event. She read out their names and gold, black and pink balloons, with the recited names attached, were sent to they sky.
The ceremony was held at Boom Street, which is considered one of the unsafe places for women to walk freely.
Another activist Mabotse Mothiba called an end to the killings. “As we remember the lives of Makoena, Phuti, Joyce and many other women that lost their lives in the hands of men, it has been a crazy month in Polokwane, it has been very sad. We have lost women of substance, we have lost women who were going that were going to make sure that our economy grows, we have lost business minded women in the hands of men, what have we done to you to deserve to die like this?”
Polokwane has recorded a number of violent murders of women recently, sparking concerns over the safety of women in the city. The province recorded just more than 480 GBV cases in August.
Mabusela-Leshabane’s family attended the ceremony. Her aunt, Caroline Thema, says they have not stopped mourning.
“As a family I am saying we are really saddened. We are still mourning. We still can’t believe Makoena is no longer there. We still can’t believe that Tedd is no longer there and we really appreciate the works that the South African Police Service … they should not stop here they should continue to do with others what they have done for our family. We really appreciate that.”
SABC News spoke to some of the men who were at Boom Street. They urged men to also unite in an effort to end violence against women.
“We are all outraged by what is going on in our town. It is not applicable to anybody to take matters into their own hands. We will do everything in our power to decrease crime in our town. As men I believe we can do better. We are not doing things the right way we are being too extreme about certain things, it is never justified to take someone’s life.”
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