Nearly three years after the body of Nonkululeko Gabriella “Gaby” Luenza Ndaba was found beneath a bridge in Boksburg, thousands of South Africans are once again demanding answers in a case that has become a symbol of the country’s ongoing struggle against gender-based violence and failures within the criminal justice system.

On Saturday, 30 May 2026, family members, supporters, activists and community members gathered beneath the N17 bridge in Van Dyk Park, the same location where Gaby’s body was discovered on 1 June 2023 after she had been missing for six days.

The event, called The Gabriella Effect, was organised by Gaby’s family as a peaceful civic initiative focused on justice, accountability, healing and public participation in improving South Africa’s criminal justice system.

During the gathering, representatives from the Dawn Park South African Police Service (SAPS), including the station commander and several officers, formally received a petition containing 9,071 signatures calling for progress and accountability in the investigation into Gaby’s death.

The petition was handed over exactly three years after the discovery of Gaby’s body, marking another painful milestone for a family that says it is still waiting for answers.

Gaby, a 31-year-old artist and business administration professional, disappeared on 26 May 2023 while taking her usual walk in Van Dyk Park, Boksburg. Six days later, her body was discovered beneath the bridge just days before what would have been her 32nd birthday.

Her murder remains unsolved.

According to Action Society, the civil rights organisation supporting the family, Gaby’s case reflects broader challenges facing victims and their families across South Africa.

“What the Ndaba/Stander family has done over the past three years requires enormous courage,” said Action Society national spokesperson Juanita du Preez.

“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.”

The family has repeatedly raised concerns about alleged investigative delays, forensic backlogs, poor communication, missing case dockets and failures in the handling of evidence since Gaby’s death.

Addressing those gathered at the event, Du Preez said many 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 the country are frequently forced to assume responsibilities that should belong to investigators, including locating witnesses, tracking case progress, identifying evidence and demanding accountability from authorities.

“The reason Gaby’s case resonates with so many South Africans is because it is not unique,” Du Preez said.

“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.”

The organisation says accountability must extend beyond individual officials and include the broader systems responsible for ensuring investigations are conducted effectively.

The case has also gained significant traction on social media, where South Africans continue to share Gaby’s story and demand justice.

One X user described Gaby’s death as a tragedy that continues to haunt the nation.

“The late Nonkululeko Gabriella ‘Gaby’ Luenza Ndaba was a 31-year-old South African artist and business administration professional whose tragic disappearance and murder in Boksburg in 2023 remain unsolved. Her case has ignited widespread public anger and fuelled national campaigns against gender-based violence.”

The user added that they had followed updates posted by Gaby’s sister on TikTok and expressed hope that police would eventually provide the family with closure.

The renewed calls for justice come against the backdrop of South Africa’s persistent violent crime crisis.

According to crime statistics released by Police Minister Firoz Cachalia in May 2026, South Africa recorded 5,181 murders between January and March this year, translating to an average of 58 murders every day. During the same three-month period, police recorded 9,782 rape cases, highlighting the continued threat posed by violent crime, particularly against women and vulnerable groups.

While the latest figures show a decline in both murder and rape compared to the previous year, government officials have acknowledged that crime levels remain unacceptably high. Nearly half of all reported rape cases occurred in the homes of either the victim or perpetrator, underscoring the ongoing gender-based violence crisis facing the country.

Action Society believes Gaby’s case illustrates why systemic reforms are urgently needed.

The organisation is calling for stronger police accountability mechanisms, faster forensic turnaround times, public-private partnerships to address forensic backlogs and greater community involvement in the pursuit of justice.

The group also thanked Dawn Park SAPS for attending the gathering and receiving the petition, expressing hope that the concerns raised by the family and community would lead to meaningful action.

As South Africa marks three years since Gaby’s disappearance and death, her family’s determination remains unwavering.

For them, the fight is no longer only about Gaby.

It is about ensuring that no other family spends years searching for answers while waiting for a justice system that appears unable, or unwilling, to deliver them.

“The standards being demanded by the Ndaba family are not extraordinary,” Du Preez said. “They are the standards every South African deserves.”