President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to take all necessary measures to protect women in South Africa, amid a series of killings in Ekurhuleni that have raised concerns about their safety. The bodies of nine women have been discovered across Ekurhuleni over the past two months, prompting police to investigate whether the deaths are connected. Ramaphosa said government must take responsibility for protecting its citizens, particularly women, from gender-based violence.
The three suspects, a man and two women, were arrested over the weekend in connection with the murder of Jabulile Ntimba, whose body was found in Dawn Park on Thursday. The suspects are expected to appear in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court. According to police, Ntimba, believed to be about 30, was found partially clothed in an open area on Lama Street in Villa Lisa, with a fatal throat injury. The arrests were made by the Gauteng Murder and Robbery Unit.
Ramaphosa was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the ANC Veterans League fundraising golf day at the Johannesburg Country Club in Woodmead on Monday. He emphasized that government could not distance itself from its responsibility to protect women, even when violence occurred in the privacy of people’s homes. The President said the government would strengthen its response to gender-based violence by deploying more resources and technology.
The developments have prompted increased police deployments in affected parts of Ekurhuleni, while a multidisciplinary team has been strengthened to investigate the deaths. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has cautioned that investigators have not established that the cases are the work of a serial killer, saying the investigations have indicated different possible motives and methods. The police are also investigating whether the nine deaths are connected.
Ramaphosa said the deaths, rape, and abuse of women required government to take concrete steps to protect them. He emphasized that men needed to change how they viewed and treated women, and that the responsibility for addressing gender-based violence extended beyond government. The President said men should respect and honour women and should never regard them as people they could harm or kill.
The President acknowledged that the government’s response would not be without shortcomings, and that there could be missteps and areas where there had been neglect. However, he emphasized that the commitment to protecting women was fierce and forceful. Ramaphosa said government was committed to ensuring women’s safety and would continue taking steps to protect them.
An inter-ministerial committee will develop a number of initiatives in response to the crisis, Ramaphosa said. The government will deploy more money, resources, and technology to address the fear women were experiencing. The President said the women of South Africa deserved to be protected by their government and to walk in streets at any time of the day and feel safe.
Key points
- President Cyril Ramaphosa vows to take all necessary measures to protect women in South Africa from gender-based violence.
- The government will deploy more resources and technology to address the fear women were experiencing.
- The President emphasizes that men need to change how they view and treat women to address gender-based violence.
