The 29-year-old accused, Lungile Novukela, made a brief first appearance before the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 16 October, after being arrested in Ivory Park, Gauteng, on Wednesday, 14 October, in connection with the murder of his girlfriend, Pinkie Khonkhobe.
Khonkhobe’s decomposed body was found buried in a shallow grave in a shack in Lerato Park, Kimberley, on 30 September 2026.
Bail was postponed to 27 October.
The courtroom was packed, mostly with women, who expressed disgust, labelling the accused nonchalant.
The Khonkhobe family has expressed relief and said they put all their faith in the justice system.
The family spokesperson and Member of Parliament, Mathapelo Siwisa, said they oppose bail because the suspect has been on the run for about two weeks following the discovery of the body.
“As community women, we do not want him to be granted bail because he was able to run before. We fear that he could flee again,” said Siwisa.
According to Siwisa, the family has been battling to find closure and bury their loved one.
That was due to pending post-mortem results, after the Department of Employment and Labour found several health and safety issues at the forensic building.
The Khonkhobe incident has since triggered the formation of a Women’s Network by residents of Bloemanda and Lerato Park.
The members went as far as approaching the Department of Health to prioritise Pinkie’s body due to the nature of the case.
It was however not possible as the DNA results were still pending.
She pointed out that the incident has affected the health of the deceased’s diabetic father ever since her disappearance.
“His sugar levels had worsened, and his blood pressure was sky high. But ever since the arrest, his condition has improved. All he is hoping for is to give his daughter a decent burial,” she added.
One of the founding members of Emang Basadi, Boipelo Zobane, said women in the community vowed to never allow any women to suffer in silence.
“Our objective is not only to give support to women, but support families affected by GBV acts.
“There are men who are going through a lot in our communities, and tend to bleed on their women and children, who expect their love and protection. It is mostly us women who notice such behaviour, but are either too afraid to step in.
“We will accompany the family and follow up on this case till the end. Our campaign will not stop with the Khonkhobe’s family but will extend to other families that need our help,” she added.
Details of the funeral will be confirmed and communicated in due time.
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