A 27-year-old woman was found brutally killed in Lebotloane, Moretele, in the early hours of Thursday, just hours after President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on the escalating crisis of gender-based violence and femicide. The woman was found lying in a pool of blood in the village on October 1, with police now searching for a suspect in connection with her death. The killing has sent shockwaves through the Moretele community, with the municipality warning that the latest incident forms…

By the time this goes to print, the number may have changed again. As I write, at least nine, possibly ten, women have been found dead in and around Kempton Park since mid-July, most half-naked, several with visible bruising, left along the same stretch of the R21 and its surrounding veld. Police have not confirmed a serial killer, but they have confirmed something almost as chilling: concerning similarities across the deaths. Among them is Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, 38, who disappeared…

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s admission that government’s efforts to combat gender-based violence and femicide have “not been enough” has drawn a sharply divided response from political parties and civil society organisations, with opposition voices questioning whether his latest intervention will translate into action on the ground. Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Tuesday night amid mounting public anger over the killings of women in Ekurhuleni, where the bodies of 11 women have been found since July. In his address, Ramaphosa acknowledged that…

President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation at 19:00 tonight on the government’s response to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), as the discovery of an 11th woman’s body in Ekurhuleni has intensified public concern and demands for urgent action. The timing of the President’s address could not be more significant. The number of women whose bodies have been discovered in Ekurhuleni since July has now risen to 11, with the latest discovery reported in Springs. The cases have sparked fear…

Men in Soweto have been urged to confront mental health challenges, substance abuse, gender-based violence and financial pressures through open conversations and greater accountability. The call was made at the Orlando Ekhaya Men’s Symposium held at the Orlando Ekhaya Flats in Soweto on September 24 as part of Heritage Day celebrations. The symposium, organised by the SA Boy Child Foundation in partnership with community organisations, brought together community members and speakers to discuss the challenges facing men and their role…

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder of a woman whose body was discovered at Mooifontein Cemetery in Tembisa South, Ekurhuleni on Saturday, with police tracing him to Tzaneen, Limpopo, later the same night. The suspect was apprehended at about 11 pm following a coordinated operation involving Gauteng and Limpopo police, according to the office of Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane. The arrest came hours after the woman’s body was discovered in the Vusimusi section…

A Northern Cape father who raped his 14-year-old daughter and impregnated her was eventually exposed by the birth of the child and a DNA test that left him with no explanation. Mojalefa Senokoatsane, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson for the Northern Cape Division, said in a statement on Friday that the 41-year-old man has now been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Hartswater Regional Court after being convicted of rape and sexual assault. Senokoatsane further said the disturbing abuse…

South Africa has one police officer for every 427 residents, a policing ratio that has come under renewed scrutiny as Parliament demands answers over the country’s response to gender-based violence (GBV). The alarming ratio has been highlighted by Standing Committee on Appropriations chairperson Dr Mmusi Maimane on Tuesday, following the discovery of the bodies of nine women in Kempton Park and other parts of Ekurhuleni. Maimane said the figures raise questions about whether the South African Police Service (SAPS) has…

A 59-year-old senior police officer holding the rank of Lieutenant General has been arrested on charges relating to alleged sexual offences involving a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman. The arrest, which took place on Monday, September 21, has triggered renewed calls for accountability within the South African Police Service, with civil rights organisation Not In My Name International demanding stronger measures to prevent abuse of power by police officers. According to the SAPS, the senior officer was arrested by…

The discovery of a ninth woman’s body in Ekurhuleni has intensified pressure on police to find those responsible for a string of deaths that has left communities across the East Rand fearful and demanding answers. The unidentified body was discovered in Dawn Park on Thursday morning, bringing to nine the number of women’s bodies recovered in Ekurhuleni over the past two months. According to Major General Fred Kekana, preliminary indications suggest the body was dumped at the scene. The woman…