Durban mother killed eight days after GBVF council appointment

A Durban mother was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend at the Cornubia Housing settlement just eight days after the National Council on Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) was appointed. The woman, identified in reports as 43-year-old Zodwa Prudence Magwaza, was found with assault wounds at the home where she lived with her two children.

What happened

According to the provincial police spokesperson, Robert Netshiunda, the attack occurred on Saturday. Magwaza was assaulted and tried to run for help but collapsed at a neighbour’s doorstep, where she died.

“The deceased was assaulted by her boyfriend. She tried to run for help but reportedly collapsed at the neighbour’s doorstep, where she died.”

Verulam SAPS is investigating a case of murder.

Family and community reaction

DA eThekwini Ward 102 councillor Rory Macpherson said the family had not received counselling since the incident. He also said a family member knew about the assaults but remained silent because he was threatened. In reports, one child who witnessed the assault fled to inform neighbours.

“She could not get the desired help,” he said.

Remona McKenzie, chairperson of the DA Women’s Network KwaZulu-Natal (DAWN-KZN), said the child’s account reflected a wider pattern. In her comment, McKenzie noted that the child confirmed repeated assaults and expressed condolences to the family.

“The child himself confirmed that he had witnessed repeated assaults on his mother before. His words echo the lived reality of many children across our province who grow up in homes where violence is normalised, leaving scars that last a lifetime. We extend our deepest condolences to the family, particularly to the child who has been left to deal with an unimaginable loss,”

“Women cannot continue to die in their own homes at the hands of men who claim to love them. Children cannot continue to be forced into the role of silent witnesses to brutality.”

Timing and the GBVF council

President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed the National Council on Gender Based Violence and Femicide for a three-year term from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2029. The council is a statutory body mandated to provide strategic leadership on eliminating GBVF at national, provincial and local levels.

“We expect that the council will leverage the classification of gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster to challenge harmful attitudes and practices, advance women’s economic empowerment, strengthen law enforcement and scale up survivor-centred support,”

Investigation ongoing

Verulam SAPS are handling the murder investigation. No further details about arrests or court proceedings were included in the reports.