WATCH | ‘My heart sank’: Husband recounts horror of Joburg attorney Chinette Gallichan’s killing

Criminals

Johannesburg – The husband of slain attorney Chinette Gallichan has described the devastating moment he realised his wife had been gunned down in the Johannesburg CBD, saying the loss has left him shattered and searching for answers.

Chinette Gallichan was shot multiple times on Monday while on her way to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), where she was handling a labour dispute involving mining company Sibanye-Stillwater.

Speaking during an interview with eNCA, her husband, Keegan Gallichan, said the day began like any other, making the tragedy even harder to comprehend.

“It was the perfect normal morning. We woke up, we both got ready for the day. I said goodbye. Thankfully, I could kiss her goodbye,” he said, recalling their final moments together.

Later that morning, he sent her what would become their last exchange.

“I spoke to her around about 9 o’clock, just with a general, you know, have a good day, and please let me know when you’re there. And that was the last I heard from her.”

Gallichan said he first became aware of the shooting through social media, but initially hoped it was not his wife.

“I went on there, and it said, female attorney killed in the street corner. And my heart sank. I just thought this couldn’t be this. I just left the office immediately.”

Travelling from Pretoria, it took him about an hour to reach the scene in Johannesburg. What he encountered there confirmed his worst fears.

“I ran towards her. The police stopped me because obviously, it’s an ongoing investigation. And then in the vehicle to my right, I could see her cell phone, car keys, and her ID card, which they then gave to me. I then knew that, sadly, it was my wife that had died that day.”

Overcome with grief, he described the manner of her killing as deeply disturbing.

“It’s dark. It hurts. Nobody at any stage deserves to die. Death is horrible as it is. But the format of what took place, it just feels so barbaric,” he said.

Gallichan said the family is struggling to understand the motive behind the attack but believes his wife may have been deliberately targeted.

No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.

The killing has raised renewed concerns about the safety of legal professionals and the prevalence of violent crime in the city.

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