By Anita Dangazele
- Pamela Mabini was murdered in her driveway after spending years protecting others from violence and fighting for justice in Gqeberha.
- She gave up a corporate career to help abandoned children and disabled people, showing her commitment to uplifting her community.
One of Gqeberha’s most fearless voices against crime was silenced last Friday when gunmen shot her dead in her own driveway.
Pamela Mabini, 46, who spent years helping victims of violence and abuse, was killed while sitting in her white Chevrolet SS Lumina bakkie outside her home in Kwazakhele township.
For nearly a decade, Mabini was the first person to show up whenever tragedy struck in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Police are yet to arrest her killers.
She became the voice for those who couldn’t speak for themselves, standing up against criminals who terrorised her community.
The community leader shot to prominence in 2017 when she exposed televangelist Timothy Omotoso’s alleged crimes.
Using her own money, she helped young women who said they were abused, making sure their stories reached the public through TV shows like Cutting Edge and Special Assignment.
Known for her bravery, Mabini never hesitated to challenge those in power. Last year, she confronted then police minister Bheki Cele, daring him to walk through her neighbourhood without bodyguards to experience the daily fear residents lived with.
“It is a sad day indeed for the community of Gqeberha, not only because of Pamela’s passing but also due to the violent nature of how her life was taken,” said Tony Duba, chair of chairpersons of portfolio committees in the Eastern Cape provincial legislature.
“I remember the last time I saw her. We met at the bail hearing of the accused in Dr Noqekwa’s murder case.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa praised Mabini’s tireless work. “Pam Mabini stood up for women who experienced gender-based violence and made it her mission to ensure the police and our courts brought perpetrators to justice,” he said.
Mabini’s dedication to helping others led her to leave her corporate job in 2014 to start the Maro Foundation.
The organisation became a sanctuary for abandoned children and disabled people who had nowhere else to turn.
Her niece Liyana Mabini shared memories of her aunt’s generous spirit. “She was an incredible woman who touched the lives of everyone she met with her kindness, compassion and generosity, and she inspired us all to be better people,” she said.
Police are still hunting for Mabini’s killers. Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg told Scrolla.Africa on Sunday that no arrests had been made.
“We are still working on this case. At the moment, nobody has been arrested,” she said.
Dubai has called for swift action.
“We call on the police to activate a team to track and arrest Pamela’s killers,” Duba said.
President Ramaphosa urged citizens to help catch the killers: “I call on anyone who has information about any criminal activity – including these current cases – to play your role in making SA safer by sharing information with the police or community police forums.”
Pictured above: Slain community activist Pamela Mabini.
Image source: Pamela Maro Mabini/Facebook
