The 87-year-old was robbed of her personal firearm, as well as cash at her home in Siyabuswa, Mpumalanga, on Saturday afternoon.
Video | Esther Mahlangu recovering well following attack and robbery
Police say she sustained facial injuries after the robber punched and strangled her until she lost consciousness.
Family Spokesperson, Xoli Mahlangu says: “She didn’t handle it well. As you know, she is elderly. But as we speak, I am at her home now. We are receiving visitors from the departments and the police and she is fine as we speak. We are still waiting for an official from the health facilities to check on her and there is a lot of work as I am speaking to you now.”
Some of Mahlangu’s achievements
In April 2018, the University of Johannesburg conferred Mahlangu with an honorary doctoral degree.
Video: UJ confers honorary doctoral degree on Esther Mahlangu
In February 2020, Mahlangu became the first South African to have her distinctive artwork displayed on a customised Rolls Royce Phantom.
The self-taught artist is known for her bold, large-scale contemporary art.
In 1991, she became the first African and first female artist to paint a BMW Art Car, following in the footsteps of the likes of Andy Warhol and others.
Born in Middleburg in Mpumalanga, in 1935, Esther Mahlangu has become the ambassador of South Africa’s South Ndebele heritage and art.
