Parliamentary committee chair urges state action after nine women killed in Ekurhuleni
An oversight chairperson says responsibility for safety must not fall on women following the discovery of nine bodies in Kempton Park and surrounding areas.
Government must take responsibility for creating safe environments rather than expecting women to restrict their movements, said oversight committee chairperson Dorries Mpapane.
Mpapane, who chairs the Oversight Committee on the Presidency, expressed horror and grief following the discovery of the bodies of nine women in Kempton Park and broader Ekurhuleni over the past two months.
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She said the murders are a painful reminder of the persistent crisis of gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.
“We cannot accept a society where women are hunted and killed in our streets and residential spaces,” said Mpapane. She added that safety cannot be shifted onto women by telling them to be more vigilant or restrict their movement, and that multi-sectoral structures must ensure safe public and residential spaces.
Mpapane extended condolences to the families of the victims.
The committee acknowledged recent arrests made by the SAPS Gauteng Murder and Robbery Unit and the deployment of a multidisciplinary specialised investigation team. However, Mpapane stressed that structural, institutional, and reactive gaps must still be closed to prevent recurring violence.
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She said the committee will exercise strict oversight over the Presidency’s response, demanding progress briefs from the Ministry of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and the GBVF Steering Committee on implementing the National Strategic Plan on GBVF.
The committee also called on the Department of Social Development and relevant Presidency secretariats to ensure psychosocial support reaches affected families.
Members of the public were urged to cooperate with law enforcement and report missing persons immediately, without waiting 24 hours.
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