A respected female lawyer has been assassinated while arriving at court in the heart of Johannesburg in what is believed to be a targeted hit.
Chinette Gallichan, 35, from Krugersdorp, was shot dead at point-blank range after getting out of a vehicle near the offices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration at 9am on Monday.
Ms Gallichan, a human resources attorney with gold mining giant Sibanye-Stillwater, was attending court in relation to a labour dispute involving employees of the company who had been retrenched and were seeking compensation.
Police first described the attack as a robbery, but later revealed none of Ms Gallichan’s belongings were taken. They have now opened a murder investigation and are hunting an unknown male suspect who fled in a getaway vehicle, Moneyweb reported.
The shooting has sparked outrage in South Africa, with tributes flowing for Ms Gallichan in the days since the killing.
The Run Zone Athletics Club posted on Facebook: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the loss of the life of one of our members to a shooting down town Joburg this morning…. Chinette Gallichan. You Gone way to Soon Champ. Rest softly Chinette.”
“As members of the legal community, we are reminded that the practice of law is rooted in justice, fairness, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. The loss of a professional dedicated to this work is felt across our profession,” wrote Chantal Mellet of Mellet Attorneys and Conveyancers on LinkedIn.
“We wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late Chinette Gallichan, a young talented labour law attorney whose life was sadly taken outside of the CCMA in Johannesburg yesterday.”
Another lawyer, Bouwer van Niekerk, 43, was assassinated by four men who stormed his office in the wealthy Johannesburg suburb of Saxonwold in September last year while investigating an alleged ponzi scheme. No arrests have been made.
And in 2023 liquidator Cloete Murray, 50, and his legal advisor son Thomas, 28, were shot dead while driving in Johannesburg. Mr Murray had been investigating high-level corruption cases, and was working for firms linked to the Indian-born Gupta brothers, who are accused of paying bribes to win government contracts.
Header image: Left, right, Chinette Gallichan (LinkedIn, Instagram).
