President declares Ekurhuleni femicide a national crisis
The President made the announcement following the discovery of the bodies of nine women in the Kempton Park and surrounding Ekurhuleni areas.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the murders of nine women in Ekurhuleni a national crisis and ordered that the investigation receive the highest level of attention from government and law enforcement agencies.
The President made the announcement following the discovery of the bodies of nine women in the Kempton Park and surrounding Ekurhuleni areas.
In a message delivered at the Memorial Dialogue against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide at the Kempton Park Civic Centre on Thursday, the President expressed his condolences to the grieving families. The message was delivered on his behalf by Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia.
“All the families, friends and communities who have lost loved ones know that the nation stands with them in their hour of sorrow,” the President said.
He added that each victim had a future and was deeply loved.
“They had hopes and dreams. They had plans for their lives. They had families and friends who expected them to return home. Each of them had a name, a story and people who loved them. Not all the women have been identified,” he said.
The President’s message came after police discovered the body of a ninth woman in Dawn Park, Boksburg, on Thursday. The discovery follows the recovery of eight other women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni over the past two months.
A multidisciplinary specialised team has been deployed to work around the clock to identify and arrest those responsible for the killings in Ekurhuleni and other parts of the country.
Government has urged residents to work with Community Police Forums (CPFs), neighbourhood watches, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and local authorities to improve community safety.
Communities have also been encouraged to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, including the illegal sale and use of drugs, illegal firearms, gender-based violence and femicide, abuse of children and the elderly, vandalism and other criminal activities.
Government further appealed to the public not to share unverified information about the murders, warning that it could compromise the investigation and cause additional distress to the affected families.
Anyone with information about the killings, or anyone searching for a missing relative or friend who may be linked to the incidents, is urged to contact Warrant Officer Elvis Manyike on 082 465 7249 or submit an anonymous tip-off through the MySAPS app.
