Joburg attorney assassinated as legal fraternity mourns another loss

An attorney has been shot dead in Johannesburg, a Roodepoort law firm has paid tribute to a woman it described as a former university colleague, Joburg Etc reports.

Spangenberg Attorneys Inc shared a statement on Monday, 2 November. The firm’s message remembered a colleague with whom its members had shared university lecture halls, ambitions and professional aspirations.

The firm said her death had affected not only those who knew her personally, but the wider legal fraternity.

‘No legal practitioner should ever have to fear for their life simply for doing their job,’ the statement read.

It also stressed that lawyers should be able to represent clients, argue cases and uphold justice without having to worry about their personal safety.

A wider concern for legal practitioners

The tribute comes against the backdrop of previous deadly attacks on members of Johannesburg’s legal profession. In March 2026, labour lawyer Chinette Gallichan was shot dead outside the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) offices at the corner of Fox and Joubert streets in the Johannesburg CBD. She was part of Sibanye-Stillwater’s legal team, according to the Department of Justice.

Following Gallichan’s death, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi emphasised the importance of protecting those working in the justice system.

‘Legal practitioners play a critical role in ensuring access to justice, and their safety must be safeguarded at all times,’ she said.

Spangenberg Attorneys has not disclosed the latest victim’s identity or the circumstances surrounding her killing. Police details and the status of any investigation have also not been established from the material shared publicly.

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