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The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety strongly condemns the brutal murders of four women in Ekurhuleni and calls on members of the public to come forward with any information that could assist the South African Police Service in identifying, locating and arresting the perpetrator or perpetrators responsible for these heinous crimes.

The Committee is deeply concerned by the circumstances surrounding the deaths and urges anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity, encountered the victims or suspects, or possesses any information that could assist investigators to report it to the police without delay.

The Committee further calls on communities to remain vigilant, particularly women who may feel increasingly vulnerable following these incidents. Residents are urged to exercise caution, remain alert to their surroundings, avoid unnecessarily placing themselves in potentially dangerous situations and promptly report suspicious persons, vehicles or activities to the police. 

The Committee notes with serious concern growing speculation that the murders could potentially be linked and may point to the presence of a serial killer operating in parts of Ekurhuleni. However, at this stage there is no confirmed evidence establishing that these cases are the work of a serial killer, and the Committee cautions against speculation that could compromise ongoing police investigations or cause unnecessary panic in communities. 

What is beyond dispute is the gravity and brutality of these crimes. The targeting and killing of women in such circumstances is an intolerable assault on the safety and dignity of women and cannot be allowed to become normalised.

The Committee calls on Police to leave no stone unturned in investigating these murders, establishing whether there are any links between the cases and ensuring that those responsible are brought before the courts. Investigators must pursue every lead, interrogate all possible connections between the incidents and provide communities with timely updates as investigations progress.

The Committee also calls for strengthened cooperation between the police, community policing forums, local safety structures and residents. Community members are not merely recipients of policing services, they are critical partners in preventing and solving crime. Information that may appear insignificant could ultimately prove decisive in bringing a dangerous perpetrator to justice.

Anyone with information relating to these murders is urged to report it to the police or through appropriate anonymous crime-reporting channels.

The Committee reiterates its unequivocal call for an end to gender-based violence and all forms of violence against women. Women must be able to live, work, travel and participate in their communities without fear of being targeted simply because they are women.

The message from the Committee is clear, these killings must not be allowed to become another statistic. Communities must speak up, the police must act decisively, and perpetrators must face the full might of the law.

Issued by Gauteng Provincial Legislature