On 18 October 2025, community leaders, activists and survivors gathered online for a gender-based violence (GBV) symposium focusing on Mbombela. The event exposed how GBV continues to devastate families, children and even healthcare workers. At the same time, local courts are hearing two of the province’s most harrowing cases: the murders of Hillary Gardee and Dr Nondumiso Nkosi.

The symposium highlighted the dangers of “sugar daddy culture”, which fuels teenage pregnancies and exploitation of young girls. Speakers warned that older men who prey on vulnerable children trap them in cycles of poverty and abuse. Another key theme was financial abuse, a silent but destructive form of GBV that keeps victims powerless.

This issue resonates strongly with the Nkosi case. Dr Nkosi, a respected medical practitioner, was shot dead in November 2024 in the Riverside Virgin Active parking lot. Her estranged husband, Sifiso Sibanyoni, has been charged with premeditated murder and denied bail. The State revealed he allegedly benefited from more than R1.5 million in life insurance payouts after her death. The case has sparked community protests and raised concerns about the lethal role of financial control in abusive relationships.

The Gardee trial has also drawn national attention. Hillary Gardee, daughter of EFF deputy president Godrich Gardee, was murdered in 2022. The case stalled in 2023 when they key witness disappeared, but it has now resumed at the Mpumalanga High Court. The family has urged prosecutors not to “fumble” again. This trial underscores how delays and weak witness protection repeatedly undermine justice in GBV cases.

The symposium also addressed the emotional toll of GBV on healthcare workers, who face burnout from constant exposure to violence. Presentations called for survivor-centred support, consent education in schools, and rewriting masculinity narratives to shift responsibility onto men rather than victims.

If Mpumalanga is to turn the tide, awareness must lead to action. This means stronger witness protection, time-bound prosecution standards, survivor support services, and school-based prevention. Hospitals also need GBV desks to help both patients and staff.

The symposium offered solutions, and the courts remind us of the stakes. Unless urgent steps are taken, Mbombela risks being remembered for GBV headlines rather than for the safety and dignity of its people.