The nation has been gripped by grief after the bodies of eleven women were recovered across the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg, since 15 July. Eight of those victims, including Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo discovered on 12 September were found within the last three weeks, sparking a wave of public anger and renewed calls for decisive government action.
In a televised address on Tuesday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that the state had fallen short in protecting women. He announced a 60-day mandate for police to review unsolved murders, attempted killings and serious sexual offences against women and children, and to devise a funded strategy to eliminate the forensic backlog. At the same time, five ministries have been instructed to deliver a concrete plan within the same 60-day window to curb alcohol-fuelled violence.
Concrete time-frames for municipalities and law-enforcement
Ramaphosa also gave local governments a five-month deadline to remedy environmental factors that jeopardise women’s safety. The directive targets broken streetlights, overgrown public spaces and abandoned structures that create “danger zones” after dark. The president stressed that “women should not have to live in fear because government has failed to repair a light, clear a public space, process evidence or enforce a law.” He further warned that responsibility for violence cannot be shifted onto victims who must constantly alter their routes or avoid night-time travel.
While police have arrested suspects linked to three of the eleven killings, officials emphasized that there is no definitive proof of a single serial killer. All investigative avenues remain open, and the president promised that cold cases would not be allowed to go cold.
Calls for accountability from civil society
Human-rights groups reacted with a mixture of relief and scepticism. Amnesty International South Africa’s executive director Shenilla Mohamed reminded the audience that these issues have been raised repeatedly since 2019, when women first flooded the streets demanding change. She warned that the president’s timelines will matter only if they translate into tangible outcomes and if there are real consequences for inaction.
Representatives from Sonke Gender JusticeMpiwa Mangwiro-Tsanga and Bafana Khumalo echoed similar concerns, noting that the proposed measures focus heavily on post-violence responses—such as forensic processing and municipal repairs—rather than a holistic prevention strategy. They argued that municipalities are being asked to fulfil duties that have historically been neglected, and that simply assigning tasks will not guarantee delivery.
Women for Change founder Sabrina Walter urged the government to publish clear budgets, timelines and measurable outcomes. She questioned why the president waited months to address the crisis after it was declared a national disaster in, and asked whether fixing streetlights could truly protect women from domestic abuse. Walter called for reliable crime statistics, quarterly public reports on arrests and prosecutions, and early-age education on consent and healthy relationships that actively involve boys and men.
Expert perspectives on forensic and policing challenges
Security analyst Willem Els highlighted that reopening cold cases could yield breakthroughs thanks to advances in forensic technology, which are now “way, way, way better” than a decade ago. He warned, however, that arrests alone do not equal successful investigations; many suspects are released within 48 hours because investigators lack the capacity to build solid cases. Els suggested hiring retired senior detectives on contract to mentor current investigators handling complex cases.
Public finance specialist Matshidiso Lencoasa stressed that South Africa’s robust legal framework on gender-based violence will be ineffective without adequate funding. She warned that shelters and support services are already strained and that the upcoming medium-term budget will be a critical test of the government’s commitment to a whole-of-government response.
Across campuses, students gathered at the University of Cape Town for a vigil, demanding stronger action against gender-based violence and femicide. Activists called for the formal recognition of femicide as a distinct crime, arguing that such a legal label would provide another tool to hold the state accountable, even if it does not alone stop the killings.
Ramaphosa concluded his address by directly appealing to men, urging them to confront friends and relatives who harass or abuse women. “It is time for good men to stop being silent men,” he declared, emphasizing that gender-based violence has been unfairly framed as a “woman’s problem” and that societal change requires men to step forward.
