Police in Ekurhuleni are battling to make sense of a terrifying string of deaths after 12 women were killed in the area in less than two months. Investigators say they have not yet established whether the cases are linked, but the sheer number of women dying in such a short space of time has left communities frightened and demanding answers.
The most recent victim was 23-year-old Boitumelo Gift Mashita, who was shot and killed in Temong, Tembisa, at about 5.45am yesterday. She was reportedly on her way to work when she was gunned down, and her belongings were allegedly taken during a robbery. It is the kind of ordinary morning journey that thousands of women make every day, and it ended in tragedy.
A person of interest, then a body
Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said investigators had identified Mashita's estranged husband as a person of interest in her killing. But the search for him took a dark and unexpected turn.
The SAPS Tembisa Tracking Team was tracing the man when Midrand police informed them that his vehicle had been found within their policing precinct, with his body inside. Muridili said police believed the man may have ingested an unknown substance. No foul play was suspected at that stage, but a post-mortem examination would determine the cause of death. Midrand police will register an inquest case into the circumstances surrounding his death.
More bodies, more grief
The killing of Mashita follows the discovery of another woman's body near a railway line in Springs on Sunday. National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said investigations into the other deaths, and efforts to trace those responsible, were continuing.
There has, at least, been one breakthrough. Police have arrested a 36-year-old suspect in connection with the murder of a woman whose body was found at Mooifontein Cemetery in Tembisa on Saturday. Mathe said the suspect was arrested in Mohlabaneng village, Limpopo, at about 11pm after allegedly fleeing the province following the murder. He is expected to appear in the Tembisa Magistrate's Court on a murder charge.
Acting national commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane praised the team that hunted the suspect down. "We will continue to pursue perpetrators of murder and gender-based violence and femicide and ensure that they face the full might of the law," Dimpane said.
Expert warns against jumping to conclusions
With so many women dying in one area, whispers of a serial killer have inevitably begun to spread. But crime expert Yusuf Abramjee urged people not to jump to conclusions, even as he stressed that the situation demanded an urgent and coordinated response.
"Each case must be investigated on its own evidence while detectives simultaneously look for common links," Abramjee said.
He called on investigators to dig deep and cross-reference every piece of evidence available to them, including DNA, fingerprints, CCTV footage, cellphone records and the movements of both victims and suspects. He said common locations, vehicles and associations should also be carefully examined, as these could reveal patterns that are not yet obvious.
A justice system under fire
The deaths have also placed a harsh spotlight on how the justice system treats women who report violence. The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) said the killings were happening within a system that often failed to follow through after violence against women was reported.
The organisation pointed to its report, Justice Denied, Silence Maintained, which was based on community dialogues held in Diepsloot, Alexandra, Tembisa, Orange Farm and Soweto. According to the CSVR, the report found that women who came forward to report violence were often met with disbelief and poor case handling.
The organisation called on the SAPS and Gauteng authorities to properly resource the investigation, to identify the women who have died, and to keep their grieving families informed every step of the way.
For now, the families of the dead are left waiting, and the women of Ekurhuleni are left watching their backs. Police have appealed to anyone with information to contact their local police station, Crime Stop on 08600 10111, or to use the app.