Margate, KwaZulu-Natal – The community of Margate is mourning the tragic loss of Simone Naidoo, a 31-year-old teacher at St Martin De Porres School in Port Shepstone, who was brutally murdered last Sunday morning.
Naidoo was shot five times – four times in the abdomen and once in the back of the head – in her own flat. The perpetrator, identified as Bruce Shangase (31) from Nositha and employed by a local security company, subsequently took his own life at the scene, leaving a firearm beside his body.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed the details: “Police are investigating cases of murder and an inquest after an incident in which a woman was allegedly shot and killed by a suspect known to her, who was also found dead at the same house with a gun next to his body.”
Jaya Pillay, Naidoo’s uncle and family spokesperson, described the family’s devastation. “The family is absolutely devastated by her untimely death and request that they be allowed to grieve. The perpetrator of the crime was unknown to her family,” he added.
Pillay painted a picture of a vibrant young woman who had achieved much in her short life. Born in Ladysmith, Naidoo matriculated from Ladysmith Secondary School before pursuing a teaching career. She graduated with a B.Ed degree from Unisa in 2023 and was already working towards a postgraduate qualification.
Her teaching journey began at RA Engar Primary School as an SGB teacher, before she secured a state-paid position at St Martin’s in May 2023.
“She loved her learners and would go out of her way to make them feel special and loved. She was a humble, pleasant, jovial and fun-loving person. She was kind-hearted and full of compassion towards the poor and downtrodden in society,” Pillay shared, highlighting her dedication to her pupils and her compassionate nature.
Naidoo lived with her grandparents in Marburg, spending weekends and holidays with the Pillay family in Port Shepstone. It was only after securing her permanent teaching post that she moved into her own apartment in Margate. The family learned after her death that Shangase had pursued Naidoo romantically, a pursuit she had rejected. This information emerged only after her death, leaving the family reeling from the shock of this unexpected tragedy.
