DWYPD Condemns Rustenburg Student Murder Amid Women’s Month

Rustenburg: The Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) has urged communities to act as custodians of change through prevention and reporting any form of violence, and supporting survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBVF). The call comes after the murder of 21-year-old Onalenna Selebogo, a third-year Education student at North-West University's Mahikeng Campus. According to South African Government News Agency, Selebogo's body was discovered on Saturday, 3 August 2025, in a Rustenburg flat, wrapped in bedsheets with multiple stab wounds to the neck. The suspect, Walter Tshehlo, fled the scene but later surrendered to the police. He has been charged with murder and awaits his bail hearing on 18 August 2025. The department has condemned the killing of Selebogo, describing it as a reminder that the fight for women's safety and dignity remains far from being won. They emphasized that the occurrence of such acts during Women's Month, when the nation honors women's contributions to democr acy, makes it even more unacceptable. The department has called on law enforcement agencies to act with urgency and transparency to ensure justice is served swiftly. Communities are urged to break the silence that allows GBVF to persist, taking active roles in prevention, reporting violence, and supporting survivors. The department also called on men across the nation to challenge harmful norms and become active partners in creating a society free from violence. They stressed the importance of every sector, including public, private business, faith-based organizations, traditional leaders, and the media, to mobilize resources and strengthen prevention efforts. At the National Women's Day commemoration in Tzaneen, Limpopo, President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the high cases of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in the country. He urged South Africans to teach young boys to protect and respect women, understand consent, and reject predatory behavior. The President highlighted the need for a society that does not condone the ill-treatment of women and children under cultural or traditional pretenses.