Popular actress Thandeka Mdeliswa dies from shooting
By CityLife Arts writer
Yet another woman has lost her life to violence targeted at women. Actress Thandeka Mdeliswa died on Saturday after sustaining wounds in a shooting on September 3 in Mpumalanga. It is not clear what happened, but at this stage nobody has been arrested for the crime and violence committed against the 34 year old actress.
According to police the actress was shot when she tried to intervene in a heated argument between her brother and two men who came to her home. One of the men is said to have taken a gun from his friend and shot her. The two men fled the scene. The actress is especially known for her role as Khanya in SABC1 Isindebele drama Ikani. No one has been arrested yet but the police are believed to be working on a strong lead.
In a statement, the family says Mdeliswa was shot on September 3 and confirmed it is a gender Based Violence (GBV) crime
“It is with great sorrow that we inform you of the passing on of our dearest daughter.
She was shot in Evander, Mpumalanga on Thursday 3 September 2020. She was immediately rushed to Evander hospital, stabilized then airlifted to Witbank after which she was transferred to Steve Biko Academic Hospital ( Pretoria) as her condition was critical but stable. She passed on in the morning of the 5th September 2020(Saturday).
The circumstances surrounding her shooting are still under investigation by Evander SAPS in Mpumalanga.
She was a young, talented and inspirational actress which her family and community were looking to see flourish. We had a lot of expectations from her.
The brutality which was inflicted on our daughter has left us deeply hurt. This is another incident of violence against women (Gender Based Violence) which our country has to fight against. We believe that justice will be served.
This is the only information we can currently convey as a family.
The family requests that it be given a chance to grieve and request that our privacy be respected at this time. However funeral arrangements will be announced in due course,” a family spokesperson said.
This shooting of the actress has shocked the arts community who expressed their outrage on social media platforms yesterday.
“How tragic, such a beautiful girl,” said visual art mentor Les Cohn.
“So sad. Deepest sympathy to her family and friends. RIP,” said veteran dace teacher, choreographer and mentor Sylvia ‘Magogo’ Glasser.