More than 9 000 South Africans have added their names to a growing call for answers in the death of Nonkululeko Gabriella “Gaby” Luenza Ndaba, whose body was found under a bridge in Boksburg on 1 June 2023 after she had been missing for six days.
On Saturday, 30 May 2026, members of the public gathered under the N17 bridge in Van Dyk Park, Boksburg, where Gaby’s body was discovered nearly three years ago. The event, known as The Gabriella Effect, was organised by Gaby’s family as a peaceful civic initiative focused on justice, accountability, healing, public participation and solutions within South Africa’s criminal justice system.
During the gathering, representatives of the Dawn Park SAPS, including the station commander and several officers, attended the event and formally received a petition containing 9 071 signatures calling for progress and accountability in the investigation.
Action Society says the significance of the event extends far beyond a single case.
“What the Ndaba/Stander family has done over the past three years requires enormous courage,” says Juanita du Preez, national spokesperson for Action Society. “Many families facing similar frustrations simply do not have the strength, resources or public platform to keep fighting for answers. By continuing to speak out publicly, Gaby’s family has given a voice to countless other families who find themselves trapped in the same painful situation of unanswered questions, delayed investigations and institutional failure.”
Gaby disappeared on 26 May 2023. Since then, the family has repeatedly raised concerns about investigative delays, forensic backlogs, missing case dockets, poor communication and failures in the handling of key evidence.
Addressing those gathered, Du Preez said one of the most painful realities Action Society encounters through its work is that victims are often failed twice. “First by the criminal, and then too often by the system itself,” she said.
According to Action Society, families across South Africa are frequently forced to carry responsibilities that should belong to the criminal justice system, including locating witnesses, pursuing updates, identifying evidence and demanding accountability from authorities.
“The reason Gaby’s case resonates with so many South Africans is because it is not unique,” says Du Preez. “Across the country we repeatedly encounter the same patterns: missing persons cases that are not treated with urgency, forensic delays, poor communication, lost evidence and families being forced to become investigators in their own cases.”
Action Society says accountability must extend beyond individual officials and include the systems and leadership structures responsible for ensuring investigations are conducted effectively. “When investigations stall, when evidence disappears, and when families are left without answers for years, there must be accountability,” says Du Preez.
The organisation says the gathering also highlighted the need for practical reforms, including stronger police accountability mechanisms, faster forensic turnaround times, public-private partnerships to address forensic backlogs and greater community participation in the pursuit of justice.
Action Society thanked the Dawn Park SAPS representatives for attending the event and receiving the petition, and expressed hope that the concerns raised by the family and community will translate into meaningful action.
As South Africa marks three years since Gaby’s disappearance and death, Action Society says the family’s persistence serves as a reminder that justice cannot depend solely on the determination of grieving relatives.
“No family should have to spend years fighting simply to ensure that an investigation moves forward,” says Du Preez. “The standards being demanded by the Ndaba family are not extraordinary. They are the standards every South African deserves.”
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