Kwena Molekwa@Miz_Ruraltarain
Labour Law Attorney Murdered Outside CCMA Offices in Johannesburg. Johannesburg :
A 35-year-old attorney, Chinette Gallichan from Krugersdorp, was fatally shot on Monday morning outside the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration offices located at the intersection of Fox and Joubert streets in the Johannesburg Central Business District.
The incident occurred at approximately 09H00, while Gallichan was arriving for a matter at the CCMA. At the time of the shooting, she worked in the labour litigation department of Sibanye-Stillwater.
According to eyewitnesses, Gallichan was representing a mining company in a dispute involving workers who had allegedly been retrenched and were seeking payout compensation. Witnesses reported that a male suspect approached her as she exited her vehicle and shot her at close range.
The suspect then fled the scene on foot before escaping in a waiting getaway vehicle. Initial reports from the scene suggest the incident may have been a targeted hit, as none of the victim’s belongings were stolen. Gallichan obtained her LLB degree from the University of South Africa and later completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Labour Law with distinction from the University of Johannesburg. She was also well known in the athletics community. Gallichan and her husband, Keegan, were members of the Run Zone Athletics Club in Northcliff and regularly participated in road running events, including the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. In 2023, she completed the marathon in a time of 4:18:57.
Her death has sent shockwaves through both the legal and athletics communities, where she was described as a familiar face, particularly at the CCMA, where she often represented employees in matters involving unpaid wages and unfair dismissals. Police are investigating the murder.
Rest in peace 🙏 🪦