CRIME SCENE: Samora Machel, Cape Town: A special memorial gathering will be held on Sunday, 1 November 2026 at 14:00 on the spot where Pastor Anthea Wilkinson was severely injured in a smash and grab incident.

Wilkinson, a senior pastor and leader at Jesus Celebration International (JCI) church, died about two weeks after sustaining severe head injuries during an attack on a vehicle near Samora Machel, on 11 October 2026.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) said Wilkinson was a passenger in a white vehicle near the intersection of the R300 and Jakes Gerwel Road when the driver heard a loud impact against the passenger-side window. 

Wilkinson was hit on the head and became unconscious. She remained in hospital for just under two weeks, but died because of her injuries on 24 October 2026. 

Police are investigating cases of murder, malicious damage to property and assault.

One of her fellow pastors at JCI, Pastor Grant Classen, posted on Facebook:

“Pastor Anthea left the House of God after preaching the Word of God, never knowing that it would be her last sermon. On her journey home, a rock was violently thrown through her vehicle window, tragically taking her life. 

“This was not just another incident. This was a mother, a wife, a grandmother, a shepherd, a servant of God and a woman whose life mattered!

“We are tired of condolences without action. Tired of dangerous roads being ignored. Tired of innocent people becoming victims while communities continue to live in fear.

“WE WANT JUSTICE FOR PASTOR ANTHEA! WE WANT ACCOUNTABILITY! WE WANT SAFER COMMUNITIES!

“To every pastor, every church leader and every person who believes that innocent lives matter: PLEASE JOIN US AS WE GATHER AT THE VERY SPOT WHERE HER LIFE WAS TAKEN.”

He urged