A coffin covered with a blanket and with a picture on it and next to it. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli addressed the funeral of Nontobeko Cele. Picture: Supplied.
Durban - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli addressed the funeral of Nontobeko Cele, whose brutal killing by her boyfriend was posted on social media.
The murder of Cele, 25, drew widespread condemnation after her boyfriend Sibusiso Lawrence Ntaka posted a chilling video on social media showing her lifeless body. Ntaka then took his own life.
The funeral, held on Monday at KaMkakwa Hall in uMzinto in the Ugu District Municipality, was attended by Sport, Arts, and Culture MEC Mntomuhle Khawula and former Police Minister Bheki Cele.
Speaking at the funeral, Premier Ntuli expressed condolences on behalf of the provincial government and called for decisive action against gender-based violence.
“We must condemn in the strongest terms this kind of brutality against women. Gender-based violence is a scourge that continues to devastate our communities, and we must all work together to end it,” he said.
Ntuli also urged victims of abuse to leave toxic relationships before it is too late. “I want to say to anyone who finds themselves in a relationship where they feel unsafe or unloved, please walk away. Your safety and your life are more important than staying in a relationship that puts you at risk,” he pleaded.
The Premier further encouraged couples to resolve conflicts peacefully.
“We must promote communication and negotiation in our relationships. Violence should never be seen as a solution to problems. Love should not end in tragedy,” he added.
According to the First South African National Gender-Based Assault Study, 35.5% of women in South Africa have experienced physical or sexual assault in their lifetime, with KZN accounting for a large proportion of these occurrences.
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