Three Boxer managers shot dead in Eshowe office as CCTV of the killings spreads online

Three women were shot dead inside an office at a Boxer supermarket in Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, on 10 October, in an attack that has been circulating on social media as CCTV footage of the shooting.

The footage shows a man dressed in black standing in the doorway of an office where the three managers were seated, opening fire repeatedly. The women are seen trying to take cover as he continues firing. All three were shot.

The killings reportedly followed a disciplinary process. Boxer has said it extended its condolences to the families and is working with the South African Police Service and other authorities as the investigation continues. No arrest has been reported in the material available.

As eNCA reported on 16 October, Employment and Labour Minister Makhosazana Meth has appealed to the public to stop sharing the CCTV footage and to show empathy towards the victims’ grieving families. Meth also called on law enforcement to leave no stone unturned in bringing those responsible to justice.

“No person should ever fear for their life or personal safety while carrying out their duties and responsibilities in the workplace,” she said.

The killings have drawn widespread reaction online. Many users have expressed horror and condemned the attack. Others have voiced sympathy for the alleged gunman, claiming he may have worked in a toxic environment, and some of those comments have been criticised for appearing to justify the killings.

Professor Corne Buitendag of the University of Johannesburg, who focuses on gender-based violence and gender equality, said South Africans should not speculate about the motive.

“We cannot speculate,” she said. Buitendag said the country should not normalise violence or shift blame for the killings, and warned against becoming desensitised to violent incidents whether or not they receive widespread media coverage.

She also cautioned against arguments that frame the incident as three women against one man, saying such narratives can reinforce a sense of entitlement among some men.

“Even if you are disgruntled, you cannot kill,” she said. Buitendag added that social media comments that excuse or justify the violence should be condemned.

For readers outside KwaZulu-Natal, Eshowe is a small town in the Zululand district, roughly 150km north of Durban, where a supermarket branch is one of the larger formal employers in the area. Boxer is a discount grocery chain with a large footprint in rural and township retail, and its stores are among the few places in towns like Eshowe where residents can buy staple goods close to home. The three women who died were managers at that branch, in a country where retail management is one of the more stable routes into the middle class for women without a degree.

Violence against women remains one of the most heavily reported categories of crime in South Africa, and workplace killings of this kind are unusual enough that they draw national attention. What is less usual is the speed at which the CCTV footage has moved through social media, and the turn the commentary has taken.

The appeal from Meth, whose department covers workplace safety and labour relations, sits alongside a broader question the case has raised: what employers owe workers when a disciplinary process ends badly. The department has not announced any inspection or inquiry into the Eshowe branch, and Boxer has not said whether it will change any of its internal procedures.

The police investigation is ongoing.