- While police have been economical about the facts surrounding the murder of Lulama ‘Guffy’ Dinginto, reports on social media suggested she was killed by a “well-known Thug” identified as “Fire”.
- Dinginto was ambushed in her home on Sunday 10 December, the last day of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign.
- According to police reports, Dinginto was attacked in her sleep around 02:45 at her home in NY110.
“Our sister was a dedicated, committed and hard-working crime fighter,” this is how Western Cape Community Policing Forum (CPF) chair Fransina Lukas described the late Lulama ‘Guffy’ Dinginto.
Dinginto was ambushed in her home on Sunday 10 December, the last day of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign. She was a community activist and a deputy chair of the Gugulethu Policing Forum.
According to police reports, Dinginto was attacked in her sleep around 02:45 at her home in NY110.
While police have been economical about the facts surrounding the incident, reports on social media suggested she was killed by a “well-known Thug” identified as “Fire”.
READ | Gugulethu CPF deputy chairperson shot and killed in an ambush at her home
A social media post that was shared widely on Sunday following the murder blamed “Fire” for the killing. “Fire is a well known thug is Gugulethu that has gone mad and has been killing community members and Somalis with impunity without any repracrations from the Police, recently he cold blooded murdered a Matric girl from section 3, Aphiwe Stemela, Philani Ndoko. A murder in Goodwood at Mguyweni and many other Murders know by Police but doing nothing to catch to catching Fire and his crew Wanky, Spoon and others who have been Terrorising Gugulethu for the past 3 months or so,” read the post, adding that Dinginto was their only threat “since it is an open secret that these criminals work…with some SAPS members they even hire cars for them to be able to conduct their dirty work and always alert them when are sported and Police are going for them.”
The post further accused the police of being in cohorts with “Fire” and of betraying Dinginto.
“She was a very dedicated CPF member dealing in all types of crime but her passion was social crime dealing with troubled children at homes all without being paid. Even with ill health she dedicated her Life to fight crime but failed by those on Authorities. Rest Easy Crimefighter,” concluded the post.
On Monday 11 December, various stakeholders including provincial police commissioner Maj-Gen Thembisile Patekile, Minister for Police Oversight and Community Safety Reagan Allen and Lukas visited the family.
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The media was barred from attending the meeting the officers cited that the family was not informed that the media would come. However, after the meeting, some of the stakeholders who were part of the meeting came to address the media.
Lukas said they were devastated as a CPF family by the incident. She described Dinginto as a dedicated member who sacrificed her life for the betterment of the community. “It is hard to lose one of us at the end of 16 Days of Activism. She was not supposed to die like that. We believe her only sin was to fight for a safer and more prosperous Gugulethu, Western Cape and South Africa in general,” said Lukas.
She urged law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in bringing perpetrators to book.
Allen said they were heartbroken by the incident. He expressed his gratitude to the family for welcoming them into the house. He vowed that they would not rest till the perpetrators were brought to the book.
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Patekile described Dinginto as a committed and vibrant community member. He assured her family that they would not sleep until they found the perpetrators. He urged the CPF members not to be deterred by the incident.
Patekile stated that it is everyone’s business to protect anyone who is working tirelessly to protect the community.
However, he stated that it is in their jurisdiction to protect the CPF members in the country.
He clarified that the alleged suspect that was earlier apprehended was released as he was not the suspect that they were looking for but he had the same surname as the alleged suspect that they were looking for.