KEMPTON PARK, Gauteng — The tragic wave of Ekurhuleni murders has sparked urgent demands for political accountability, with Democratic Alliance (DA) leaders asserting that ending the scourge of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) requires a government that actively prioritizes the safety of women and vulnerable residents.
DA Federal Leader Geordin Hill-Lewis and Ekurhuleni Mayoral Candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane recently laid a wreath at the site along the R21 road in Kempton Park where the body of Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo was discovered. Moselakgomo is one of nine women whose bruised and half-naked bodies have been found across the municipality since July. The grim discoveries, which have also occurred in areas including Olifantsfontein, Clayville, and Germiston, have left local communities in a state of profound fear and anger.
During a public meeting held at a local school, residents expressed deep frustration over the lack of visible policing. Community members noted that the burden of safety is consistently and unfairly shifted onto women, while the South African Police Service (SAPS) and local government fail to ensure secure metropolitan environments.
Addressing the crowd, Hill-Lewis emphasized that truly honoring these victims requires electing a government that takes their plight seriously before tragedies occur, rather than offering empty promises of army deployments and lockdowns after the fact.
“Bad government, corrupt police officers, no integrity in the government, no ethic of service; that is the reason these tragedies are allowed to happen in our country,” Hill-Lewis stated. He stressed that politics is intrinsically linked to GBVF, arguing that criminals act without consequence because the SAPS and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) are fundamentally broken and susceptible to bribery. Rejecting accusations that the party is using emotive deaths for electioneering, he maintained that voting decisions are directly tied to community safety ahead of the November 4 elections.
Rasilingwane shared her personal heartbreak as a woman and a mother, channeling her anger into a commitment to fight for the city’s vulnerable residents. She specifically welcomed the recent dismissal of suspended EMPD Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi, a move she described as long overdue.
Rasilingwane recounted the DA’s efforts in 2023 to suspend Mkhwanazi following his involvement in the controversial blue light saga. According to Rasilingwane, when the ANC and EFF-led coalition removed the DA from government, they not only protected Mkhwanazi but ultimately promoted him to deputy chief of police. She directly linked this lack of merit-based leadership and the resulting dysfunctional, under-resourced EMPD to the vulnerability of communities and the deaths of the nine women.
“This is good governance, and this is a fight that we started,” Rasilingwane said, promising that the removal of compromised individuals from the city’s policing structures is only the beginning.
As investigations continue to ascertain the identities of the remaining unidentified victims, the DA continues to urge South Africans to choose leaders who will restore integrity to law enforcement and ensure that no other woman is found dead due to systemic policing failures.
