Runners protest murders of women in Kempton Park over the disappearance of Elizabeth Moselakgomo

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.

In South Africa, students and staff from DUT marched silently through Durban to honor the memory of victims of gender-based violence and femicide, and to call for an end to violence, fear, and silence.

In the eThekwini area, the body of a sixth woman was found in approximately two months. Police are investigating possible links between these cases but warn that it is too early to speak of a serial killer's guilt.

Nevertheless, this should not distract from the broader crisis. South Africa does not lack reports of GBVF; it lacks consequences, protection, and urgency.

The case of 38-year-old Elizabeth 'Ntontso' Moselakgomo intensified public anger. Moselakgomo, a mother, went missing after going for a run. Her family later identified her body at the Germiston morgue. The police deployed specialized resources to investigate her death alongside other murders.

The circumstances of the deaths are still being determined, and it would be irresponsible to claim that the women were killed by the same person before investigators establish that. However, six bodies in a concentrated geographical area demand an exceptional response.

Police have already involved multidisciplinary investigators and forensic specialists. One suspect is in custody in connection with the first body found in July. Investigators are now working to identify connections between these cases. Therefore, the public needs more than just assurances that investigations are underway; it needs results.

Because for the women living in eThekwini, the question is not whether the authorities will eventually explain what happened, but whether the state can prevent the next woman from becoming another case.

Murders in eThekwini occur against the backdrop of a national crisis. SAPS registered the murder of 569 women between April and June 2026, as well as 9201 rape cases. Over 60% of the rape cases sampled occurred in residential premises, challenging the notion that violence against women is a danger lurking somewhere outside the home.

The scale of this is precisely what led the government to classify GBVF as a national catastrophe in November 2025. This classification was intended to allow the government to coordinate its response, direct resources to the crisis, and strengthen accountability. The government also established a National GBVF Council to coordinate the national response.

However, almost a year after the declaration of the catastrophe, frontline organizations continue to report serious resource issues. The South African National Shelter Movement states that about 90% of shelters supported by them are struggling with funding and other forms of support. These facilities may be necessary for women trying to escape abusive homes, receive counseling, legal aid, or protect their children.

This reveals a fundamental contradiction. If GBVF is a national catastrophe, the infrastructure protecting its victims cannot be treated as a secondary issue.

South Africa is not alone in the fight against femicide. In Cameroon, reports indicate that over 120 women have been killed by intimate partners since the beginning of the year. In response, the government launched a three-month national campaign targeting femicide, domestic violence, gender inequality, and male dominance, focusing on prevention, reporting crimes, and prosecution.

Cameroon's campaign itself does not solve the problem. Campaigns only make sense when backed by functioning institutions. But the comparison raises an important question for South Africa: what does emergency action look like when a crisis has already been officially recognized?

It should mean swift police investigations. It should mean adequately funded shelters. It should mean prosecutors effectively handling cases. It should mean the enforcement of protection orders. It should mean early intervention when patterns of abuse emerge. And it should mean confronting the attitudes among men who normalize control, the right to dominate, and violence against women.

The most dangerous response right now will be another cycle of outrage followed by another declaration. The state has already acknowledged the problem. President Cyril Ramaphosa declared GBVF a national catastrophe, and the government established a status National Council and promised increased policing, survivor support, and prevention programs.

The question is no longer whether the government understands the crisis. The question is whether the system delivers results. This means publishing measurable targets for investigations, prosecutions, convictions, protection orders, shelter capacity, and police responsiveness. It means identifying where resources are lacking and addressing those gaps instead of creating another layer of bureaucracy. And it means that men must become part of the solution, not just receive instructions to condemn violence after another woman dies.

The women found in eThekwini cannot be reduced to statistics. Nor can the 569 murdered women in three months be reduced to statistics. South Africa has already named GBVF a national catastrophe. Now the state must act as if it believes its own declaration.