Outrage over killing of Sibanye Stillwater lawyer in Joburg

Sibanye Stillwater human resources lawyer Chinette Gallichan was gunned down by unknown assailants near the offices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) on Monday.

The 35-year-old lawyer was understood to be attending to a dispute involving employees of the mining group. Gallichan is reported to have been handling a retrenchment-related matter at the time of the shooting, which appears to have been a targeted hit.

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Sibanye Stillwater announced several thousand retrenchments in its southern African operations in 2024, but made no further announcements since then with regard to job losses.

“It is shocking and we are still trying to understand what happened,” said James Wellsted, head of corporate affairs at Sibanye.

“The police are investigating the matter and are looking for two suspects.”

Wellsted adds that the motive for the shooting is still unknown but is being investigated by police.

Sibanye says it is providing support to the family.

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Reports suggest Gallichan was exiting her vehicle near the CCMA offices in Joburg CBD when she was shot at close range by a male suspect who then fled in a getaway vehicle. No arrests have yet been made.

The incident has been condemned by colleagues in the legal community, as well as by the Ministry of Justice.

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She was a member of the Run Zone Athletics Club, which posted the following message 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 [Monday]…. Chinette Gallichan. You Gone way to Soon Champ. Rest softly Chinette.”

This is not the first instance of a lawyer being assassinated in Johannesburg. In September 2025, attorney Bouwer van Niekerk was assassinated in his SmitSew law offices in Saxonwold at a time when he was investigating alleged Ponzi scheme NTC Global Trade.

Van Nierkerk’s colleague Kurt Knoop resigned as business rescue practitioner of NTC the day after the shooting. Four suspects are being sought in connection with this killing, but to date no arrests have been made.

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In March 2023, prominent insolvency practitioner Cloete Murray and his son Thomas were gunned in Midrand. They were both involved in several high profile investigations, including into the Bosasa prison supply scandal and BIG Business Innovations.

In all these cases, the attacks appear professional. Nothing is stolen and the perpetrators escape with no immediate arrests.

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Killing condemned 

The SA legal community was been quick to condemn the killing of Gallichan.

“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.”

“Over the years in South Africa, there have been incidents where labour practitioners and HR professionals have faced threats and intimidation due to the nature of disputes they were involved in. This is a reminder that labour relations professionals are not just dealing with files and hearings, but with highly sensitive human situations,” wrote Bridgette Nikiwe Golele, a legal administrative assistant in response to the news of the shooting.

“This week’s events are a sobering reminder that behind every case number and hearing is a professional simply doing their job. As the labour relations environment continues to evolve, perhaps we should continue looking at ways to make dispute resolution not only efficient and accessible, but also safer for everyone involved.”

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