KZN premier’s staffer stabbed to death outside her home

The body of a 39-year-old woman who was employed at the office of the KwaZulu-Natal premier was found outside her home on Sunday morning.

On Monday premier Sihle Zikalala said Hlengiwe Madlala had been stabbed to death.

“From the reports we have received, Hlengiwe’s body was discovered outside her home in the early hours on Sunday. It had multiple stab wounds and her clothes were next to her body.

“By all accounts, this is one of the most gruesome acts of gender-based violence (GBV) recently committed on a woman in the province. Whoever did this was on a mission of murderous violence and set about this act in a cold and calculating manner,” said Zikalala.

Hlengiwe Alexia “MaHadebe” Madlala was an administrator in the premier’s communication unit.

“She was from Songozima village in Vulindlela, outside Pietermaritzburg. Hlengiwe died a brutal and gruesome death at the hands of a callous perpetrator. She would have celebrated her 40th birthday in August this year. Unfortunately her life has been cut short by this brutality,” said Zikalala.

The premier called on police to trace and apprehend her killers.

“GBV remains one of the worst scars in our society, touching every community regardless of race, faith or economic status. GBV has become the second pandemic after Covid-19 and remains a real threat to the building of a united, prosperous, non-sexist, non-racial and equal society,” he said.

“There is clearly more work to be done to protect women in KwaZulu-Natal from violence through prevention, awareness, care and support for the victims.

“We must also strengthen the judiciary and support programmes which target women empowerment and provide closure for the survivors.”

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