Police confirmed last week that academic and scientist Dorcas “Didi” Lekganyane was murdered.
PPolice confirmed last week that academic and scientist Dorcas “Didi” Lekganyane was murdered by her partner at her home in Bramley, outside Johannesburg.
“Officers responded to a domestic violence incident and found Didi suffering from multiple stab wounds,” police spokesman Colonel Nosholo Kweza said in a statement.
Mr Lekganyane's partner was found at the scene and “appears to have attempted suicide following this tragic incident”. He was taken to hospital and placed under police guard.
“When he is fit to stand trial he will be charged with murder which has been confirmed by law enforcement,” Kweza said.
In June, Lekganyane, 32, was named by the Mail and Guardian as one of their 200 young South Africans for 2024 in the Climate Change and Environment category.
She was a researcher specializing in traditional medicine and co-founder of Sweet Biotics, an herbal medicine store that distributes tonics to mainstream markets and retail outlets.
Lekganyane, who has a master's degree in environmental science specialising in botany and plant biotechnology, said she wanted to eradicate the stigma attached to the use of traditional medicine.
She was previously recognised as one of South Africa's 50 most inspiring women and had received several awards, including a Department of Science and Technology Fellowship Master's Award for her research into traditional medicinal plants in South Africa.
“She touched countless lives through her work and tireless efforts to bridge the gap between traditional practices and modern science, and the world is a poorer place now that she is gone,” family spokesman N.J. Lekganian said.
South Africa has long grappled with gender-based violence, with thousands of women killed each year, many by their partners.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday about how he plans to tackle rampant crime in the country, the new Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu, said the killings of women and children “remain a cause for serious concern and require thorough action by law enforcement agencies”.