The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) has taken to the streets of Kempton Park as outrage grows over the discovery of the bodies of eight women in Ekurhuleni.
The march comes amid mounting concern over the safety of women following a series of disturbing discoveries that have triggered an intensified police investigation and demonstrations by residents and civil society organisations.
The ANCWL is joining calls for urgent action from law-enforcement authorities as communities demand answers over the deaths.
The protest follows an already heightened police response in Kempton Park, where residents and runners have also demonstrated outside the local police station demanding greater protection for women. (The Citizen)
Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia has since announced that police will intensify operations in Kempton Park following the discovery of another woman’s body, bringing the number of cases under scrutiny to eight.
Cachalia has also announced a R400,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, as police seek a breakthrough in the investigations.
The killings have attracted attention from the highest levels of government, with President Cyril Ramaphosa directing law-enforcement authorities to prioritise the cases and leave no investigative avenue unexplored. (Reuters)
Police have deployed a multidisciplinary team of detectives, forensic specialists, Crime Intelligence officials, tracking teams, K9 units and investigative psychology specialists.
Authorities have, however, cautioned against concluding that all the women’s deaths are connected.
Police say investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding each case and possible similarities, but forensic and investigative evidence will have to establish whether any of the women were killed by the same perpetrator or perpetrators. (The Citizen)
The ANCWL march adds to growing public pressure for answers and increased police visibility as the investigation continues.
