Victim. Survivor. Savior

South africa recently witnessed an epidemic of gender-based voilence. From across the border in Botswana, one woman’s tale of how she was shot eight times by her boyfriend.

- Gofaone Makhaya

On the fateful night of April 27, 2009, around 2AM, Malebogo Molefhe was rudely woken up. Someone was breaking open the window in her bathroom. She jumped out of bed screaming.

Then she heard his voice, “Babe, it’s me, please do not scream.” Molefhe’s boyfriend was outside the house begging her to open for him. Despite his reassuring voice, she saw he was holding a gun.

“When I refused, he lost his cool and started shouting and his voice was full of anger and then I knew I was in danger,” recalls Molefhe.

Unfortunately for her, the assailant shot the door and forcefully broke in to find Molefhe, naked and helpless, in her bedroom.

“He grabbed me by the hand and told me to get dressed. I was in a state of shock and did everything he told me to. We went outside the house and as he opened the gate, we found the police and soldiers outside the yard.” They had been alerted by the frightened neighbors.

For Molefhe, the sight of uniformed officers gave her hope, but that was quickly dashed when he immediately closed the gate and did the unthinkable; he put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger.

“The moment he put the gun on my head, I knew it was done, I knew I was going to die. Fortunately, the gun jammed. He panicked and let go of me. I tried running away but fell face down when suddenly something very hot pierced my back.”