Martha Mani has been laid to rest following her tragic fatal shooting in the workplace parking area in Vanderbijlpark.

[News]

Woman Killed: Disturbing Footage Emerges of Execution-Style Attack on Finance Employee.





A disturbing and highly graphic video circulating online shows the execution-style killing of Martha Mani, a finance official at the Emfuleni Local Municipality, in Vanderbijlpark.

The footage, which is not suitable for sensitive viewers, captures the moment an attacker approaches Mani from behind and fires multiple shots at close range. She is seen collapsing as the gunman continues firing, in what appears to be a targeted, execution-style attack carried out in broad daylight.

Mani worked in the municipality’s finance department, where she was in daily contact with residents. She allegedly flagged tender irregularities in a contract worth millions.

EVEN WITH TEARS IN THEIR EYES, THEY STOOD IN A GUARD OF HONOUR NEXT TO HER COFFIN.

[COLLEAGUES IN PICTURES] They were not spared the truth. They were told how her brother had to face the devastating aftermath after she was shot multiple times. Through social media, they saw it too, the footage of the moment she was gunned down mercilessly, her life taken in an instant.

They knew what had been done to her.
They carried that pain with them.

Even with that knowledge, that the violence had taken so much from her, they still came. With their feet trembling from anger and grief, her colleagues from the Finance Department and ELM took turns throughout the funeral service, standing beside her coffin in a guard of honour.

They stood for her dignity.
They stood for her life.
They stood because love does not turn away, even in the face of unbearable loss.

Rest in peace, Mani.
May justice and truth honour your memory. May yout spirit haunt those who ordered your killing.

[News]

A pattern of targeted killings?

Her killing has raised renewed concern about the safety of officials and potential whistleblowers in South Africa, particularly those working in finance, procurement, and governance roles.

One of the most high-profile cases is that of Babita Deokaran, a Gauteng health official who exposed massive corruption linked to Tembisa Hospital tenders. She was shot multiple times outside her Johannesburg home in 2021 after dropping her child at school, in what authorities described as a targeted assassination tied to her whistleblowing work.

Another case is Mpho Mafole, a senior auditor in the City of Ekurhuleni, who was fatally shot while driving home, shortly after uncovering irregularities linked to a multi-million rand fuel contract.

Similarly, Sindiso Magaqa was shot in 2017 and later died from his injuries after exposing alleged corruption in a municipal tender process.

The killing of Martha Mani now adds to a growing list of officials whose deaths raise serious questions about accountability, protection for whistleblowers, and the risks faced by those working inside government systems.

Do you think this was a targeted attack or random violence?

Should officials working with public funds receive more protection?

What does this say about safety in South Africa right now?