Bonteheuwel grapples with fear following brutal stabbings of two women

Bonteheuwel has been left reeling after a woman was fatally stabbed in the early hours of Sunday morning, the second violent killing of a woman in the area in less than a week.

The latest incident occurred just days after another woman was killed in the same street earlier this week, intensifying fear and anger among residents.

According to Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk, Bishop Lavis SAPS officers responded to an incident in Loganberry Street, Bonteheuwel, at about 12:30am on Sunday, February 8.

“On Sunday, February 8, at about 12:30am, Bishop Lavis SAPS members attended to an incident at a premises in Loganberry Street, Bonteheuwel, where a 58-year-old woman was stabbed and injured,” Van Wyk said.

He said the suspect arrived at the home looking for a friend and became angry when told the person was asleep and would not be woken.

“The suspect became angry and attacked the husband with a knife. The husband retaliated, also using a knife,” Van Wyk said.

“The deceased then attempted to stop the fight and was stabbed by the suspect in the shoulder. Both the suspect and the deceased were taken to hospital, where the woman was declared deceased on arrival.”

The 25-year-old suspect was arrested and remains under police guard while receiving medical treatment. Police said the incident appeared to have stemmed from an argument and that the investigation is continuing.

The killing follows another fatal stabbing in the same street earlier this week, in which 49-year-old Louisa Van Sensie was killed.

Ward councillor Angus McKenzie said the Loganberry Street community was still struggling to come to terms with the loss.

“In the early hours of this morning, the Loganberry Street community was rocked by the violent and brutal stabbing of Louisa Van Sensie,” McKenzie said.

He said Van Sensie was attacked outside her home by someone known to her, although there was no relationship between them.

“The exact circumstances surrounding this horrific incident are still under investigation,” he said.

McKenzie confirmed that a suspect had been arrested and remains in custody.

“What we do know is that a suspect has been arrested and remains in police custody. He is a 24-year-old man known to police from the very same street where Louisa lived,” he said.

The suspect is expected to make his first court appearance on Tuesday. McKenzie said the community would strongly oppose any application for bail.

“Any attack on a woman, regardless of the circumstances, must be met with the full force of the law. Violence against women is an absolute scourge on our communities and cannot be tolerated,” he said.

Reflecting on the close timing of the killings, McKenzie said residents were deeply traumatised.

“It is completely unacceptable that, after losing Shireena Birch to gender-based violence less than a week ago, our community is once again mourning the loss of another woman under such brutal and senseless circumstances. This cannot become normal. It cannot be accepted,” he said.

The latest killing comes less than a week after the murder of Shireena Birch, a case that sparked widespread anger and renewed debate around violence against women in Cape Town. Birch’s death prompted calls from activists and community leaders for stronger action by the criminal justice system, particularly around early intervention, protection of women at risk, and bail decisions in serious violent crimes.

Community leaders have warned that repeated fatal attacks in close succession are deepening fear and trauma in already vulnerable neighbourhoods.

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