Action Society is calling for urgent accountability and an independent investigation into the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) gross mishandling of the disappearance and death of Nonkululeko Gabriella (Gaby) Luenza Ndaba, a young woman from Boksburg who went missing on 26 May 2023 and was found deceased six days later—just days before her 32nd birthday.
From the outset, SAPS failed Gaby and her family. Officers at the Dawn Park Police Station showed no urgency when the missing persons report was filed, and they failed to take critical steps in the early hours of her disappearance. Most notably, they failed to trace Gaby’s cellphone, despite it still ringing until at least 8:00 the following morning. The phone was later found on her body—evidence that could have helped locate her sooner, had it been acted upon.
When Gaby’s body was eventually discovered on 1 June 2023, SAPS again failed to secure the scene, and critical evidence was overlooked—some of which was later discovered by the family themselves. The police also attempted to return her cellphone before forensic data had been properly extracted.
“This is not just a case of human error—it is a clear example of institutional negligence and bias,” said Juanita du Preez, spokesperson for Action Society. “Gaby’s family had to investigate her disappearance themselves. They commissioned their own post-mortem, traced evidence, and confronted witnesses because the police simply would not act.”
Among the most disturbing revelations is that the appointed investigating officer admitted to lacking basic training and did not even approach key witnesses. Prejudicial attitudes—based on unfounded assumptions about Gaby’s lifestyle—further compromised the investigation.
Action Society is demanding:
- The immediate reassignment of the case to a competent and experienced investigative unit
- A full investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) into the conduct of the Dawn Park SAPS
- A broader inquiry into how prejudice and incompetence are impacting police performance in gender-based violence and missing persons cases
“Gaby’s case reflects a wider crisis in the policing system—a culture of indifference when women disappear, a lack of training, and a refusal to take families seriously,” said du Preez. “This cannot be allowed to continue. The police are there to protect—when they fail, we must demand justice.”
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