By James Gwati-A Zimbabwean man was brutally murdered Thursday while his wife was in labour in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Talent Gono, and Lillian Hlahla were preparing to welcome their child into the world—a moment that was meant to be filled with joy but instead became one of unimaginable horror.

Lillian, employed by one Jeannie Ross, had been experiencing severe labour pains when her employer advised her to take time off and rest.

Doctors had warned her that if she did not give birth naturally by March 10, she would require a Caesarean section.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, Ross received what she thought were messages announcing the birth of the child. 

Instead, a voice message revealed Lillian’s screams—anguished, desperate, and filled with shock. 

Talent had stepped outside to place their bags in the car, ready to rush to the hospital, when he was ambushed in the darkness. 

A gang of men descended upon him, beating him mercilessly before plunging knives into his head, stomach, and chest.

Hearing the commotion, Lillian staggered outside despite her pain, only to be met with the sight of her husband lying in a pool of his own blood, his life slipping away. 

He managed to whisper a plea for water. Overcome with desperation, she ran to a nearby tap, but before she could return, the agony of labour took hold. 

There, beside her dying husband, in the cold and indifferent night, Lillian gave birth to their child. 

The baby’s first cries pierced the air just as Talent breathed his last.

The incident adds to South Africa’s growing crisis of violent crime. 

The country has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with an alarming number of homicides reported daily. 

The latest statistics from the South African Police Service (SAPS) indicate that over 80 people are murdered every day, a grim reflection of deep-seated socio-economic issues, gang violence, and an overburdened law enforcement system.

Foreign nationals, especially Zimbabweans, have been frequent victims of these attacks, often targeted due to xenophobic tensions that flare up across the country.

Over the years, South Africa has witnessed brutal killings, from politically motivated assassinations to senseless robberies that leave families shattered.

Many townships and informal settlements, such as Joe Slovo, have become breeding grounds for crime, where the reign of fear often overshadows the rule of law.