• Phindile Gcwensa-Chili inherited two taxis after her husband was killed, but both were stolen and her family says the painful losses affected her health.

• Her death has sparked anger over the struggles faced by widows trying to protect businesses and assets in South Africa’s male dominated taxi industry.

Philile Gcwensa-Chili lost her husband to violence. Then she lost the taxi business he had left behind.

Now her grieving family has buried her too.

Gcwensa-Chili died more than a year after the killing of her husband, Siyabonga “Mateku” Chili, left her to take responsibility for his taxi operations.

Her family believes the emotional pain of losing her husband, followed by the battle over the taxis she inherited, took a heavy toll on her health.

The taxis operated under the KwaNgcolosi Taxi Association in the outer west of Durban, near Hillcrest.

After her husband’s death, Gcwensa-Chili was left with two minibus taxis.

But within months, both were stolen.

For a widow already dealing with the pain of losing her husband, the disappearance of the vehicles brought another crisis.

Family members told Scrolla.Africa that they believe the pressure surrounding her husband’s death and the stolen taxis affected her health.

Reverend Sabelo Chili said Gcwensa-Chili did not openly tell the family how much pain she was carrying.

“Her ill health might have been the result of the taxis that were stolen and the death of her husband because till today no one has been arrested,” Reverend Chili said.

He said the family is still waiting for answers.

“Even the matter of the taxis that were stolen have never been found till today,” he said.

Her brother, Wonder Chili, said his sister experienced what the family believes was the brutal side of the taxi industry at one of the most vulnerable moments of her life.

“We really appreciate the support we received from the community but my sister suffered a lot because after she lost her husband, her grief was met with the crises of the taxi business as all the two taxis were stolen,” he said.

The family briefly thought there was hope when one of the vehicles was found.

According to Wonder, it was discovered operating under another taxi association in Durban.

But the relief did not last.

“The first one was found operating in one of the taxi associations in Durban and after that it was stolen again without a trace,” he said.

For the family, Gcwensa-Chili was dealing with one painful blow after another.

First came the killing of her husband.

Then came the responsibility of trying to keep his taxi business running.

After that, the vehicles disappeared.

Her death has now caused anger in the community and raised concerns about the difficulties women, particularly widows, can face when they take over taxi businesses previously run by their husbands.

South Africa’s minibus taxi industry remains largely male dominated.

Widows who inherit taxi businesses can face difficulties taking control of operating permits, protecting vehicles and finding their way through powerful taxi association structures.

Disputes can become even harder when local ways of resolving disagreements do not work properly.

The South African National Taxi Council has introduced initiatives including Women’s Desks in provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal.

These structures are intended to support and mentor women operators while giving them a place to raise concerns about unfair treatment and exclusion.

But for Gcwensa-Chili’s family, those wider problems have become painfully personal.

They have lost both Siyabonga and Phindile, while questions remain about the killing and the disappearance of the taxis that were meant to help support the family after his death.

Gcwensa-Chili was laid to rest on Saturday.

Her family is now left mourning a woman they believe carried far more pain than she ever told them.

Pictured above: Phindile Gcwensa-Chili, who was laid to rest on Saturday.

Image source: Ndabe Funerals