21-year-old South African woman beaten to death by her boyfriend

Friday, January 10, 2025 - A 21-year-old woman, Zanele Dibaza, 21, was brutally attacked and beaten to d3ath by her boyfriend in Greenfields, Gqeberha, South Africa on New Year’s Day, 1 January 2025. 

Advocacy group, Women For Change disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, January 8, 2024.

It is reported that Zanele’s family was waiting for her, and when she didn’t arrive, her sister went to the boyfriend's home, where she found Zanele’s naked body. 

Zanele was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival. The boyfriend, 25, handed himself over to the authorities and has been charged with murder.

Her sister, Anela said Zanele had just been paid and promised to take the family to the beach for the first time in three years.

“Baxolise came to pick her up from our house and she had promised she’d buy snacks for the little ones in the house. So when she didn’t come home for hours on end, I decided to go to her boyfriend’s house to ask her to give me her bank card,” said Anela.

"When I got there, I knocked and her boyfriend told me to wait. I waited for about 30 minutes and he still wouldn’t open. I called out for his mother and she used a knife to open his backroom door and when we got inside my sister was lying there naked with her head swollen and a scar on her forehead wide open.”

Anela said Baxolise was still angry and aggressive. 

“He tried to force her sister to stand up saying that she was faking not being able to get up.”

Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge confirmed that Baxolise handed himself over around 8pm on 1 January.

“She and her partner were at her house on 1 January and everything seemed fine before they left together at about 6.30am. About an hour later, her sister wanted her to go with them to the shop and she found her sister at the boyfriend’s house in the same area,” said Beetge.

“She had suffered severe head wounds and was rushed to hospital where she was declared dead on arrival. Vuso appeared in court on Friday on a charge of murder and his case was remanded to a later date.”

 Friends held a candlelight ceremony for Zanele on Wednesday in Qunu, Booysens Park.