The March and March Movement plans a protest in Kempton Park to draw attention to issues of gender-based violence (GBV) and undocumented immigration, especially as police continue to investigate the deaths of several women in Ekurhuleni.
Sandile Dube, the spokesperson for the organization, clarified that his group is not asserting that any foreign national is responsible for the fatalities; he stated that the determination of culpability rests entirely with the ongoing police investigation.
These statements come amid police inquiries into eight separate incidents involving women found deceased in Ekurhuleni since July. The discovery sites for these bodies include areas such as Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, Clayville, and KwaThema.
Authorities are currently looking for potential connections between the cases but have issued a caution against prematurely concluding that a single individual is responsible for all the deaths.
Police investigation into possible links
Initially, the police focus was placed on four women whose bodies were located in the Kempton Park vicinity over roughly two months. Police noted certain parallels among some of the cases, including the manner in which the bodies were discovered, which led to the initiation of a specialized inquiry and a public safety advisory.
The scope of the investigation has since broadened to encompass eight cases throughout Ekurhuleni. As of Wednesday, police reports indicated that only two of the eight victims had received formal identification.
One of the identified victims is Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, aged 38, who was reported missing after going out for a run. Law enforcement has assigned extra detectives, intelligence personnel, forensic experts, and other resources to determine if these cases are linked.
In connection with one of the cases, one suspect has been apprehended, and the police have also offered a reward of R400 000 for information that might aid the investigation. Police officials have repeatedly warned that it is too soon to characterize the killings as the actions of a serial killer.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia commented that speculating about a pattern connecting all eight deaths would be premature while investigators work to establish the facts.
Focus on GBV and community action
Against this background, Dube emphasized that the movement's planned demonstration aims to spotlight GBV and underscore the necessity for communities to unite against violence targeting women. He added, “We do not only fight issues of illegal foreigners, we also are active in campaigns against GBV in the country.”
Dube further elaborated on the organization's structure and mission, stating, “We are an organisation run by women and we are more than comfortable with a woman in a leadership position. Women play a big role in society, and we encourage men to accept and be happy for women, we need to protect our women. We all have a lot to gain from women empowerment.”
Expressing deep concern over the fatalities, Dube remarked that the deaths have caused distress to the group, noting their prior involvement in campaigns following similar incidents. He asserted, “There is no place in society for hate and killing of women.”
He appealed to the community to collaborate with investigators and urged anyone possessing relevant information regarding the killings to contact the police. Dube concluded, “We want the perpetrator or perpetrators to be brought to book for their heinous crime. Anyone who has any information should come forward and help the police catch the person or people involved in the serial killing.”
The march is anticipated to increase public demand for accountability, answers, and stronger protective measures for women as the police investigation proceeds.