It was a bloody end to 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children in Cape Town as the deputy chairperson for the Gugulethu community police forum (CPF) was gunned down in her home.
Lulama Dinginto was shot and killed during the early hours of Sunday, December 10, after a gunman or gunmen broke into her home in Gugulethu and shot her multiple times.
The news of her horrendous death has sent shock-waves through CPFs across the province.
According to the Daily Voice, Dinginto’s sister, Nontsomi Nqothole, said she was in her flat in the back of the property when she heard gunshots ring out before 3am.
At the time, she told her mother to remain quiet and switched off the lights. Once the gunshots subsided, they went out to see what happened and found her sister’s house had been broken into. The burglar gate was removed, and Dinginto was found lying in a pool of her blood in the toilet.
Nqothole told the publication that her sister, a mother of two, was shot five times in the face and head, and her cell phone was stolen.
The Western Cape Community Police Board said it was deeply saddened by this tragic loss.
“Her dedication to community policing, her unwavering commitment to combating violence and drugs, and her outspoken advocacy for a safer community made her a beacon of inspiration for us all.
“The news of her brutal and untimely death in her own home is devastating, and words seem insufficient to express the anger and sorrow we feel. In this difficult time, please know that our thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones. May they find strength and solace in the memories of her impactful life.
“As a community, we mourn the loss of a dedicated community servant and leader who gave so much of herself to make our world a better place,” the board’s chairperson, Fransina Lucas, said.
The organisation also called for a 72-hour action plan to be enforced by the SAPS and law enforcement agencies to find and prosecute those responsible for Dinginto’s murder.
Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, described Dinginto as a phenomenal woman.
“I am appalled by this incident and all the violence that we’re continuing to see across various pockets of our province.
“I urge anyone with information to immediately make it available to all law enforcement agencies, including the SAPS, so that perpetrators can be apprehended and convicted. The police should leave no stone unturned in finding her killers,” Allen said.