On the night of 12 May 2017, best friends Popi Qwabe and Bongeka Phungula boarded a taxi in Klipspruit, Soweto, heading to Maponya Mall for a night out. That was the last time they were seen alive.
Qwabe, just 24 years old, was shot and left for dead near Naledi High School. A passerby found her and rushed her to a hospital, but she was declared dead on arrival. Hours later, Phungula, aged 28, was found in Tladi, also fatally shot.
The taxi driver later said that apart from Popi and Bongeka, three other men were inside the vehicle. He said they hijacked him, but he managed to escape, alerting the taxi owner before it was later found abandoned.
After frantic searches at hospitals and police stations, their tragic fate was revealed. However, the full forensic reports were never released, and the police investigation was reportedly riddled with errors. It was believed that the women may have been sexually violated before being murdered.
Despite two suspects being arrested, both were later released due to lack of evidence, and the case was struck off the roll.
Renewed advocacy and ongoing delays
In 2020, Amnesty International spotlighted their case in its Write for Rights campaign, leading to the reopening of the investigation. By 2021, the matter had been sent back to the National Prosecuting Authority for a prosecution decision, before being referred to an inquest.
Yet, even now, eight years later, there has been little progress, and no communication with the families, leaving them in the dark.
A call for justice
On Monday, 12 May 2025, Amnesty International South Africa will hold a picket outside the Protea Magistrate’s Court in Soweto, demanding justice for Popi and Bongeka.
“Since their murders, the families have received little to no communication on the status of the case, leaving them in the dark with no hope of justice being served,” Amnesty International South Africa stated.
“In 2023, National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi informed us that the case had been referred to the Protea Magistrate’s Court for an inquest, but there has been no indication of when it will start, despite our regular follow-ups.”
“Popi and Bongeka’s case is emblematic of a failing criminal justice system, one plagued by impunity, where victims and survivors of gender-based violence and femicide rarely see justice,” Amnesty International stated in a statement. “The justice system must start acting as a deterrent by ensuring perpetrators are held accountable in accordance with the law.”
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