The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has called for immediate, high-level security interventions in Kempton Park following the discovery of the body of an eighth woman in Clayville, near Tembisa.
The deaths have drawn intense public attention following the disappearance of 38-year-old runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, who went missing while on a routine afternoon jog in the area.
Her body was later discovered partially clothed in a secluded area behind a hotel in Rhodesfield, prompting rights groups and state institutions to call on local authorities to urgently address environmental vulnerabilities that could be exploited by criminals.
Following the discovery, police established a multidisciplinary task team to investigate the killings.
Seven other women have been found dead in and around Kempton Park, including in Olifantsfontein, Tembisa and Kwa-Thema.
Speaking on YOU FM’s Newshour, CGE spokesperson Javu Baloyi said authorities across all spheres of government must take proactive measures to protect women rather than responding only after tragedies occur.
“It was embarrassing to see the City of Ekurhuleni cutting the grass today, something that could have been done a long time ago, because these unmonitored spaces are actively being exploited by perpetrators as hunting grounds and hiding spots.
“We are saying as the commission that the government and law enforcement must immediately clear overgrown, unoccupied stands and cut open fields,” said Baloyi.
The CGE is also calling for a comprehensive safety audit of the area.
“Authorities in that locality must do an audit of parks and areas to ensure that those secluded areas are highly monitored all the time.
“These deaths are indicative that women in South Africa continue to face environments in which their ordinary freedom of movement can become a matter of life and death.
“Women should be able to run, walk to work, use public transport, return home, visit friends and participate in community life without having to calculate whether an ordinary activity could place their lives at risk,” Baloyi added.
Meanwhile, law enforcement officials said many of the victims showed signs of physical trauma or strangulation, with several found partially or fully unclothed.
The Police Ministry is offering a R400,000 reward for information that could lead to arrests.
Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia, Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga, Deputy Minister of Police Dr Polly Boshielo, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, briefed the media on Tuesday night about the discoveries, which have sparked public outrage.
