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The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) condemns in the strongest possible terms the continued violence against women following the discovery of the bodies of several women in Kempton Park and other parts of Gauteng.

The discovery of the body of jogger Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo over the weekend, after she went missing during a routine run last week, has once again exposed the grave danger faced by women in our communities. The IFP extends its deepest condolences to her family, friends and loved ones during this devastating time.

We call on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to urgently intensify its investigation, deploy all necessary resources and ensure that those responsible are identified, arrested and brought to justice. There can be no complacency when women are being murdered and their bodies discovered in our communities.

It is particularly disturbing that Moselakgomo’s body was discovered in the vicinity where the bodies of four other women had previously been found. The IFP therefore calls on the police to urgently establish whether there are links between the five killings reported in the Kempton Park area since July, and whether the evidence points to the possible involvement of a serial killer and rapist.

The investigation must not be confined to Kempton Park. Police should also urgently examine whether the deaths of three other women whose bodies were discovered in Clayville, near Tembisa Mall, Kwa-Thema in Springs, and Olifantsfontein are connected to the wider pattern of violence against women and the deaths of other women in the province.

Last year, we welcomed the classification of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) as a national disaster. That declaration must now translate into visible, sustained and measurable action. It must not become another declaration that gathers dust on government shelves while women and children continue to live in fear.

The IFP remains hopeful that SAPS, together with the relevant government structures, will act with the urgency this crisis demands. Those responsible for these horrific crimes must be brought to justice, and every possible step must be taken to prevent further loss of life.

Issued by IFP National Spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa