Pamela Mabini was an ever-present figure and a campaigner for justice in the aftermath of crime and tragedy in Nelson Mandela Bay, often offering support to families and speaking out loudly against the high levels of violence in the city.
On Friday, Mabini became the victim, killed in cold blood while she sat in her white Chevrolet SS Lumina bakkie in her driveway in Tshauka Street, Kwazakhele.
The murder of the 46-year-old community leader, whistle-blower and activist against gender-based violence has sent shock waves through the country with politicians, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, and the clergy calling for justice for Mabini and the swift arrest of the perpetrator.
Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said Mabini was shot multiple times while in her vehicle.
On Sunday, she said the investigation was ongoing.
Wherever Mabini went, someone knew her name because she was always involved in projects aimed at helping others — distributing food, hygiene products and school supplies, always working quietly behind the scenes fighting for social justice.
In 2014, she left her corporate career to start the Maro Foundation, where she provided shelter and care for abandoned children and the disabled, giving them a home and a future.
Known for the support she showed towards victims of rape and trafficking, Mabini also stood as a constant presence in the trial of Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso, offering solidarity and strength to the young women who were testifying against Omotoso.
When she initially learnt of the alleged abuse, Mabini used her own resources to try to help the girls.
Through her efforts, this story was brought to the attention of South Africans via television shows such as Cutting Edge and Special Assignment.
She never missed a day of the trial, despite having her life threatened multiple times, allegedly by Omotoso’s supporters.
From handing out food parcels to the homeless to supplying sanitary towels to underprivileged young girls and fighting against gender-based violence, the former The Herald Citizen of the Year category winner was an advocate for social injustice.
And she did it all while dressed to the nines.
Those close to Mabini said she always knew the day would come when she would be targeted again, after being shot at in 2018.
At the time, The Herald quoted Mabini saying she believed that the incident was linked to supporters of Omotoso and his Jesus Dominion International Church.
Mabini said the gunman’s warning to “leave Daddy alone” reinforced her belief — a direct reference to Omotoso, who is known as “Daddy” among his supporters.
Born and raised in Kwazakhele, Mabini was also vocal about her Christian faith.
She supported the family of slain Gqeberha doctor Bantu Noqekwa, who was murdered in his Njoli Street, Zwide, surgery in May 2023, and would often speak out against crime in the community.
In 2014, Mabini founded the Maro Foundation which, with the help of friends, family and her former corporate connections, collected food, blankets, clothes and sanitary towels to distribute to the homeless.
Blankets were given out during winter and the foundation also supported schools by providing school shoes and other needed items.
Since its inception, Mabini opened two homes in Johannesburg for the mentally handicapped, disabled and children living with HIV/Aids who had been abandoned by their families.
Mabini attended Zamukukhanya Primary School and Kwazakhele High School, later studying sports management at Varsity College.
Before founding the Maro Foundation, she worked in sports management and was also a professional athlete, including a netball player.
One of her closest friends, Khulile Nzo, said he was at a loss for words.
“She was a very good friend, a fighter and a person dedicated towards social upliftment,” Nzo said.
“She was loyal. She knew this day would come. Whenever we had this conversation, she would say she was ready.
“She knew she had done her best and helped others.”
Ramaphosa said in a statement: “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.
“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.”
The chair of chairs in the Eastern Cape provincial legislature, Tony Duba, expressed his sorrow at her death.
“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.
“She was a tall and ever-present figure in the aftermath of any tragic event in Gqeberha.
“I remember the last time I saw her, we met at the bail hearing of the accused in Dr Noqekwa’s murder case.
“We call on the police to activate a team to track and arrest Pamela’s killers.
“We urge all communities in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro to work with the police to combat crime, and we welcome the imminent visit of the National Assembly portfolio committee on police, with a clear focus on crime intelligence.”
Mabini’s sister, Zimasa, was too upset to comment.
Zimasa’s daughter, Liyana, said the family was devastated.
“My heart is heavy with the loss of my aunt.
“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.”
The Church of Umzi-Wase Tiyopiya in Southern Africa’s Bishop Mbulelo Beyi said: “Mabini was a beacon of hope, a fearless defender of human rights and a true servant of the people.
“Her tireless dedication to uplifting the most vulnerable in our society — caring for abandoned children, supporting victims of gender-based violence and providing for the needy — embodied the very principles of justice, compassion, and love.”
The ANC Women’s League in the province called for the police to act with speed to arrest the killer(s) and ensure the “heaviest punishment” was imposed.
“She was a giver to the community and continued to live her life advocating for the needs of women and community members,” the women’s league said in a statement.
“She stood as one of the whistle-blowers in the Omotoso case and has provided valuable and notable assistance to the case witnesses and victims.
“We join hands in support of the continuous efforts by the government to help intensify the fight against these brutal killings ...
“Violence and killings of innocent women have no place in our society, the lives of women matter.
“As the ANCWL EC, we will continue to engage and advocate for the implementation of laws that protect women’s rights and hold all killers accountable.
“We remain resolute in our position as we call for arrests and convictions of all perpetrators and killers.
“We call for the progressive society to continue engaging on programmes that advocate for a free and safe society for women.
“We will continue intensifying our plans and efforts, calling for justice for Ms Mabini and all of the women who have been killed.”
The ANC in the Eastern Cape said in a statement: “Pamela was the epitome of excellence and lived with these attributes of selflessness and humility to the end as espoused by her activism in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide.
“We have lost a resilient activist, a gallant fighter for the rights of women and children, a fighter for social justice.
“The killing of Maro, as she was affectionately known, calls for all of us to take action and unequivocally denounce these atrocious acts and blatant disrespect for human life by heartless criminals in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro.”
DA MPL Yusuf Cassim said Mabini’s murder was not just a tragedy, it was a stark reminder of the violent crime that she actively campaigned against.
“Pamela was not just a human rights advocate, she was a lifeline for many,” Cassim said.
“This is not just another crime. It is a direct attack on the fight for justice.
“The Hawks together with other law enforcement agencies must act without delay to find the perpetrators and ensure they face the full force of the law.”
The EFF in the Eastern Cape said her killing was a declaration of war against victims of gender-based violence and all the communities Mabini served.
“Mabini was a soldier for the most vulnerable — a relentless fighter who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with survivors of rape, trafficking and gender-based violence,” it said in a statement.
“She provided school supplies to the children of the poor, supported victims in the courts and fearlessly confronted the rot of patriarchy and exploitation during the Timothy Omotoso trial.
“Her blood, spilled by the enemies of progress, stains the hands of a system that protects criminals and abandons the vulnerable.”
A friend of Mabini’s, Luphumlo Ngcayisa, said Mabini served selflessly and stood for truth even at personal risk.
“You faced threats to your life, yet you never wavered,” Ngcayisa said.
“You humbled yourself, pleading for resources, not for personal gain but to uplift the communities you so fiercely championed.
“Though you did not bear children of your own, you nurtured an entire village.
“You mothered the motherless, sheltered the vulnerable and carved pathways of hope where there had been none.
“The countless lives you touched will carry your name in gratitude and reverence, for you were love embodied.”
The Herald
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.