Pregnant Nurse Stabbed Fetching Daughter, South African Man Charged

Keith Chetty stood before Magistrate Sandile Ngwenya in a Pietermaritzburg courtroom on March 31, facing a single murder charge: the stabbing death of Aleyka Shaik, a 34-year-old High Care unit nurse who was five months pregnant with twins at the time of her killing.

Shaik was allegedly stabbed while fetching her seven-year-old daughter from outside a relative's home in the Northdale neighborhood sometime between March 29 and 30. Chetty, 39, was arrested in connection with the death before the month ended.

The court appearance was brief but emotionally heavy. Family members sobbed when the formal murder charge was read aloud. Chetty confirmed he understood the charge and was remanded in custody. The bail application was set for April 7, with the state prosecutor citing the need to verify the accused's background and alternate addresses before any determination could be made.

Outside the courthouse, gender-based violence activists demonstrated and demanded additional charges be considered given Shaik's pregnancy. The call reflected a broader public reckoning: the case drew immediate outcry and intense media coverage, with Shaik's identity as both a healthcare worker and an expectant mother amplifying the anger far beyond the courtroom.

Those who knew her described Shaik as a devoted mother. Her role in a hospital High Care unit, combined with the fact that she was carrying twins, made the case a rallying point for GBV advocates calling for stronger protective measures, more resources for victims of domestic and intimate-partner violence, and faster legal consequences for perpetrators.

What the prosecution will allege about a possible relationship between Chetty and Shaik, and what motive it will put before the court, remains to be disclosed. The April 7 bail hearing will be the first real window into how the state intends to build its case.