The National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NCGBVF) is deeply disturbed by the killings of women in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, where the bodies of six women have been discovered in Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein and KwaThema since July 2026.

We extend our deepest condolences to the families of every woman who has been taken, including the family of Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, who left home for a run and did not return. She was a mother. Each of these women was somebody’s daughter, mother, sister or friend. They were not statistics, and they will not be treated as such.

These women were found discarded in open veld, on roadsides and behind buildings. Several bore signs of sexual violence. That is not only murder — it is the final act of contempt in a country where women’s bodies are still treated as disposable. This is intolerable, and it is not inevitable.

The Council demands justice. We acknowledge the multidisciplinary investigative team deployed by the SAPS, the arrest already secured in one of these cases, and the commitment of the Acting Minister of Police and the national leadership of the SAPS. But arrests are not justice. The Council expects thorough investigation, timely forensic turnaround, and prosecutions that are properly resourced and carried through to conviction. Justice delayed in these cases will be read by every woman in this country as justice denied.

Three women remain unidentified. The Council appeals to any family with a missing loved one in Gauteng to come forward to the SAPS and to the Gauteng Department of Health so that DNA identification can proceed. No woman should be buried unnamed. We remind the public that the SAPS does not require a waiting period before a missing person is reported.

We caution against speculation. The Council urges the public and the media not to circulate unverified information, images or accusations. Our anger must not compromise the investigation or wound the families further.

As the statutory body mandated to provide strategic leadership and coordination in the national response to GBVF, the Council will hold the system to the National Strategic Plan on GBVF. Under Pillar 1, we will require accountability from national, provincial and municipal institutions for what was and was not done to protect women in Ekurhuleni. Under Pillar 2, prevention must confront the norms and behaviours that produce men who kill women. Under Pillar 3, women must be able to walk, work, run and travel without fear, and perpetrators must face consequences. Under Pillar 4, the affected families must receive dignified psychosocial support, including support through identification, burial and the trial process. Pillars 5 and 6 remain central: economic dependence traps women in danger, and reliable data is what allows us to see patterns before more women die.

The Council will seek a formal briefing from the SAPS and the relevant provincial and municipal authorities on the Ekurhuleni cases, and on the safety measures now in place for women in the affected communities.

South Africa has a National Strategic Plan, legislation and now a statutory National Council precisely because GBVF cannot be treated as an ordinary feature of our society. That framework must translate into something women can see, feel and trust on the street.

To whoever is responsible: you will be found.

To every woman in Ekurhuleni living in fear this week: you are not alone, and this country is not looking away.

There can be no normalisation of the killing of women. There must be accountability. There must be prevention. There must be justice.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is urged to contact the SAPS Crime Stop line on 08600 10111, to use the MySAPS App, or to report anonymously at their nearest police station.

Issued by: Dr Lebogang Manthibe Ramalepe, Chairperson, National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NCGBVF)

Media Enquiries: Cassius Selala, Head of Communication, Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, 060 534 0672