The Democratic Alliance (DA) staged a march to the Germiston SAPS on Friday, demanding increased resources to tackle gender-based violence (GBV) and crime across Ekurhuleni’s police stations.

According to crime statistics, Ekurhuleni recorded more than 1 600 murders in 2024, with precincts such as Primrose and Germiston ranking among the most dangerous in South Africa.

Despite the crisis, many police stations in the district face severe staff and vehicle shortages, leaving GBV victims without adequate support.

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The march, led by DA Deputy Spokesperson on Police, Lisa Schickerling MP, wound through the Germiston CBD before stopping at the police station to hand over a memorandum of demands.

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The Democratic Alliance has called for urgent action to combat Ekurhuleni’s soaring murder rates and strengthen gender-based violence support, citing severe police staff and resource shortages. #EkurhuleniCrimeCrisis #GenderBasedViolence #DASouthAfrica #Germiston #SAPS #CrimePrevention #EkurhuleniSafety #StopGBV #SouthAfricaCrime #CommunitySafety

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“Out of 1 154 police stations nationwide, only 134 have dedicated GBV desks. This means that most victims have no proper support,” said Schickerling.

“National government is failing to protect the people of Ekurhuleni. Communities are terrorised daily while SAPS remains understaffed, under-equipped, and overwhelmed.”

The DA’s memorandum calls for:

• Increased visible policing and crime prevention in hotspots.

• Fully operational vehicles and adequately staffed police stations.

• Strengthened GBV support services at all precincts.

• Transparent, quarterly crime statistics.

• A dedicated crime-reduction strategy for Ekurhuleni.

Schickerling emphasised that without urgent intervention, the safety of residents will continue to deteriorate.