Eight bodies, and a community that’s DONE waiting

While investigators work through a growing list of victims, it’s not just SAPS stepping up.

WHAT’S CHANGING ON THE GROUND

Across Kempton Park and the wider Ekurhuleni area, residents, taxi commuters, and advocacy groups are starting to organise their own response.

Ekurhuleni’s communications head, Phakamile Mbengashe, confirmed the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department will reinforce visible patrols.

These will specifically target transport nodes, pedestrian routes, parks, waterways and other isolated locations.

These are the exact kinds of spaces where several of the seven victims were found.

Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili confirmed SAPS has joined forces with EMPD to put more visible resources on the ground.

She described it as “more boots on the ground.”

WHY ADVOCACY GROUPS SAY IT’S NOT ENOUGH

Merlize Jogiat, an operations manager at Women For Change, didn’t hold back on the gap between official responses and lived reality:

“We have conferences that we throw millions at to talk about gender-based violence and femicide. But every single woman on the ground is not feeling the difference.”

Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo was a 38-year-old runner and Vitality Run Series participant. Following her death, Team Vitality publicly extended condolences.

They called on “the running community and the public to keep Elizabeth’s family and loved ones in their thoughts.”

WHAT COMES NEXT

The confirmed number of victims now stands at seven.

Police describe this as an active 72-hour investigation window.

The pressure is on both SAPS and local communities to show that visibility translates into actual safety, not just patrol numbers on paper.

HAVE YOU NOTICED A DIFFERENCE IN PATROLS OR SAFETY MEASURES IN YOUR AREA?