Members of March and March, joined by ActionSA supporters, braved heavy rain on Thursday morning, 17 September, as they picketed outside Durban Central Police Station over the deaths of nine women in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.
The demonstration brought the growing concern over the deaths beyond Gauteng, with protesters gathering in Durban to demand attention to violence against women.
Nine women’s bodies have been discovered across Ekurhuleni since July, including in and around Kempton Park.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding each death and whether any of the cases are connected.
The latest discovery was reported in Villa Lisa Extension 4 on Thursday. The victim’s family identified her as 23-year-old Tebello, who lived in Vosloorus. Her brother said she had been visiting her boyfriend in Villa Lisa, while the family said a friend confirmed her identity.
Her surname and cause of death have not yet been confirmed in the information available.
Protest reaches Durban
Despite the rain, March and March members and ActionSA supporters gathered outside Durban Central Police Station to express their concern about the deaths.
The picket comes amid growing public pressure for answers as families await progress in the investigations.
Police have cautioned that the nine cases have not all been conclusively linked. Investigators must establish the circumstances of each death before determining whether any involve the same perpetrator or perpetrators.
Three women identified in earlier cases are Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, 38; Itumeleng Kekana, 32; and Dineo Evelyn Motapane, 38.
The latest discovery in Villa Lisa has added to the urgency surrounding the investigations, while Thursday’s protest demonstrates that concern over the deaths is extending beyond the communities where the bodies were found.
