Operation Shanela expanded to boost safety

An expanded Operation Shanela was launched in Ekurhuleni to increase law-enforcement visibility and strengthen community safety following the discovery of nine women’s bodies amid investigations into a series of killings on the East Rand.

According to the South African Government News Agency (SAnews), the expanded operation will bring municipal metro police forces into the law-enforcement response. This includes enforcing bylaws, tackling the illegal sale of liquor and drugs and reinforcing border security.

The announcement was made by Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide co-chairperson and Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, during a media briefing in Pretoria on Sunday, September 20.

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The IMC has also approved a Comprehensive Emergency Strategy aimed at speeding up efforts to identify those responsible for the killings and bring them to justice.

The specialised multidisciplinary investigation team has been elevated and will be coordinated by the Deputy National Commissioner for Detective Services.

Municipal action in Ekurhuleni

The City of Ekurhuleni will intensify efforts to cut grass, clear overgrown open spaces and remove illegal dumping sites as part of the Clean Cities and Towns programme.

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The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) is also redirecting its Love Your Street campaign to Ekurhuleni in response to the situation.

The campaign aims to mobilise communities to keep neighbourhoods clean and promote shared responsibility for safer public spaces.

Chikunga stressed, however, that community involvement does not remove the municipality’s responsibility to provide reliable refuse removal, clear open spaces and ensure public areas are properly lit.

Businesses urged to improve security

The IMC has called on businesses operating in public spaces to strengthen their security measures.

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Shopping centres, transport facilities, entertainment venues and other businesses have been urged to ensure that lighting, security systems, emergency procedures and surveillance infrastructure are functioning properly.

Businesses were also urged to cooperate promptly with police requests for information and security footage that could assist the investigations.

Chikunga also referred to a reported GBVF incident in Sandton in which a man was recorded allegedly threatening women after they rejected his advances. The IMC called on the suspect to hand himself over to police.

Community urged to remain vigilant

Chikunga said government action alone would not be enough to prevent gender-based violence and femicide.

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She called on residents to report suspicious behaviour, threats, harassment, missing persons and violence to police without delay.

Community policing forums, ward committees, street committees, traditional and faith-based organisations, civil society groups, schools, universities, businesses and neighbourhood associations were urged to strengthen their coordination with local policing structures.

According to Chikunga, these organisations can help communities identify safety concerns, improve reporting mechanisms and connect victims and survivors with protection, psychosocial, health and legal support.

The government has separately urged families to report missing persons as soon as possible.

Chikunga said there is no requirement to wait 24 hours before reporting someone missing. Families are encouraged to provide a recent photograph, a description of the missing person, details of where they were last seen and any other information that could assist investigators.

Focus on men and boys

The IMC has identified the involvement of men and boys as another part of its response to gender-based violence.

Chikunga said men and boys must be encouraged to challenge harmful behaviour, reject misogyny, report abuse and refuse to protect perpetrators.

Community, sporting, workplace, educational and faith-based programmes are also being encouraged to promote positive models of masculinity, respect for women and girls, non-violent conflict resolution and accountability.

Parents and caregivers have been urged to teach children that violence, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable.

Support for affected families

The Department of Social Development has begun providing psychosocial support to families of identified victims, with assistance being provided according to their individual needs.

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SAnews reported that one of the nine bodies recovered remained unidentified in terms of a corresponding missing-person case.

The IMC urged people with female relatives living in Ekurhuleni, particularly around Kempton Park, Kwa-Thema and Tembisa, to check on their loved ones and report missing persons to police.

Police have urged anyone with information that could assist the investigations to contact Warrant Officer Elvis Manyike on 082 465 7249 or the SAPS Crime Stop line on 08600 10111.

Members of the public have also been urged to provide information directly to police rather than circulating unverified allegations or personal information on social media.

The Gender-Based Violence Command Centre can be contacted on 0800 428 428. A Please Call Me can be sent to 1207867#, while SMS support is available by sending “HELP” to 31531.

Chikunga said the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide remains the country’s framework for preventing violence, strengthening the criminal justice response, supporting victims and survivors and addressing social and economic conditions that enable abuse.

The expanded Operation Shanela forms part of the government’s immediate response as investigations into the deaths of nine women in Ekurhuleni continue.