By Zinhle Cele
Pretoria, South Africa – 7 August 2025

Loveness Magabe, a 30-year-old woman from Sunnyside, did what many women have been taught to do when stepping into the unknown. She sent her location. She messaged a friend to say the place didn’t feel right. She made sure someone knew where she was.

But days later, Loveness Magabe was found buried in a shallow grave behind the house where she had been dropped off — the home of a man she had met online.

The man accused of her murder, 36-year-old Helder Isidro from Eersterust, has now abandoned his bail application at the Pretoria Magistrates Court. He faces charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice, and in a separate case, is also facing a rape charge set for hearing on the same day: 15 October 2025.

This case has shaken communities across Gauteng and beyond, reopening questions about women’s safety in digital spaces, gender-based violence, and why warning signs are still so often missed or ignored.

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A Digital Connection That Turned Deadly

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Loveness and Isidro first made contact through a Facebook hook-up group. Like many others seeking companionship in a digital age, they moved their chats to WhatsApp and arranged to meet in person.

On 26 July 2025, the plan was to meet at a lodge in Eersterust. Isidro even ordered an Uber to collect Loveness Magabe from her home in Sunnyside. But instead of a public location, the Uber dropped her off outside his private residence.

It was then that Loveness sensed something was off.

“The place looks dodgy,” she wrote in a WhatsApp message to her friend. She also sent a pin location, a quiet plea for safety in case anything happened to her.

That would be her last known communication.

Loveness Magabe Reported Missing — Then Found Buried

When Loveness did not return home by the next day, 27 July, her friend went to Sunnyside Police Station and opened a missing person case. From there, an intensive police search began.

On 31 July, the search ended in horror.

Loveness Magabe’s body was discovered in a shallow grave at the Eersterust residence of Helder Isidro, the very house she had sent a pin from. Police arrested Isidro four days later at his grandmother’s home in Limpopo, where he had fled after the killing.

He was charged with two counts: murder and defeating the ends of justice.

The NPA has confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing, and Isidro remains in custody. He made a brief appearance in court before withdrawing his bail application. The court matter has now been postponed to 15 October 2025.

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A Separate Rape Charge

The NPA also revealed that Isidro is facing a rape charge in a separate matter, to be heard in Court 04 on the same day as his murder case.

The revelation has caused further outrage, with women’s rights activists and community members calling for greater scrutiny into how repeat offenders move through society without early intervention.

She Sent Her Location — And Still Ended Up Dead

For many South Africans, especially women, this case is a grim reminder that no amount of caution can fully guarantee safety in a country where violence against women continues to escalate.

Loveness Magabe’s story is not just one of a brutal killing. It’s a story of fear, instinct, and a desperate attempt to stay alive.

She told someone. She shared her location. She voiced her discomfort.

But it wasn’t enough.

“She did what she could,” said a community member in Sunnyside who asked not to be named. “How many women send a pin just in case? How many don’t come back?”

Silence, Mourning, and a Cry for Justice

Friends of Loveness Magabe have described her as a quiet and friendly person. Details about her family life have not been released publicly, but the emotional toll of her death is already rippling through social media and in advocacy circles.

In Eersterust, many are stunned that such horror was unfolding in plain sight. A young woman was allegedly lured, killed, and buried behind a home in their own neighborhood — and no one knew.

A Wider Pattern: Digital Dangers and Gendered Violence

This case highlights the hidden dangers of online encounters, particularly for women. As more people turn to social media and messaging platforms for companionship, predators are finding new ways to gain trust — and exploit it.

The murder of Loveness Magabe joins a long list of crimes involving women who tried to stay safe but were still failed by the system. In South Africa, femicide rates remain among the highest in the world.

What happened to her is not just a tragedy. It’s part of a pattern. And it demands a response.

What Happens Next

Isidro will remain behind bars as the investigation continues. He is due back in court on 15 October 2025, where both the murder and rape cases will be on the roll.

The family of Loveness Magabe, her friends, and many across South Africa now wait — not just for the trial, but for justice.

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