EKURHULENI, GAUTENG — Fear is gripping communities across Ekurhuleni following the grim discovery of nine bodies, sparking urgent warnings of a potential serial killer and intensifying the national crisis over gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa. As nighttime lockdowns are enforced in the region, forensic experts and social justice advocates are demanding immediate, proactive intervention from law enforcement to protect women and dismantle the systemic failures that allow such violence to persist.
The mounting anxiety centers on whether the deaths are the work of a single individual or multiple perpetrators. Dr. Gerald Labuschagne, a forensic psychologist and former head of the South African Police Service’s investigative psychology section, warned that the cases must be treated as a serial murder investigation until proven otherwise. He noted that serial offenders typically operate within a confined geographical area and exhibit consistent victimology.
Dr. Labuschagne emphasized that time is of the essence, as serial offenders will continue to commit crimes if not intercepted. He urged authorities to immediately deploy a specialized task team utilizing a 2016 ministerial-approved policy for serial murder investigations. While acknowledging that female serial killers exist, he stated that historical data strongly suggests the offender in this context is overwhelmingly likely to be male. The investigative psychology unit, he added, possesses the expertise to profile behavioral linkages between cases even in the absence of immediate forensic evidence.
The human toll of this crisis is palpable. Phinah Kodisang of the Soul City Institute for Social Justice highlighted the paralyzing fear within the community, noting that poorly lit streets, overgrown vegetation, and unchecked loitering have created a “recipe for disaster.” She argued that a localized lockdown is not a viable solution, as it fails to address the root causes of gender-based violence. Kodisang pointed out that intimate partner violence (IPV) remains the largest driver of gender-based violence statistics in the country. She stressed the urgent need for dedicated femicide profiling units within the police force, similar to those assigned to political killings or narcotics, to preemptively track offenders rather than reacting after another body is discovered.
Fatima Shaik, Executive Director of People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA), underscored the organization’s 47-year struggle against gender-based violence, describing the current atmosphere in Ekurhuleni as incredibly tense. She revealed that the crisis has reached a point where care workers attending to women at police stations during night shifts no longer feel safe, even inside the facilities.
Shaik sharply criticized the glacial pace of the government’s response. Although the president declared gender-based violence a national disaster ten months ago, Shaik noted that the national strategic plan is over eight years old and critically underfunded. She highlighted the severe financial struggles of NGOs, citing an instance where a shelter received a mere 66 rand a month for electricity.
Furthermore, Shaik warned that lockdowns historically exacerbate intimate partner violence, as evidenced during the COVID-19 pandemic when women were trapped in homes with their perpetrators. She called for strict consequence management for police and prosecutors who fail to protect vulnerable women and children.
The investigation currently faces a critical juncture. The first body was discovered on July 15, and while a perpetrator has been identified for that initial victim, the cases of the other eight women remain unresolved. Advocates maintain that reactive measures are no longer sufficient. Without proactive investment, dedicated resources, and tangible accountability, they warn that South Africa’s grim reputation as the “rape capital of the world” will continue to embolden criminals who believe they can act with impunity, leaving women to constantly assess their risk of simply surviving the day.
