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3w ago

Ramaphosa Elevates Ekurhuleni Probe and Orders Time‑Bound Four‑Point Plan to Tackle GBVF

The presidency has imposed 60‑ and 90‑day deadlines to audit stalled cases, cut forensic backlogs, require municipal women’s safety audits, and tighten alcohol‑related enforcement.

A demonstrator holds a placard as people take part in an awareness walk for victims of gender-based violence and femicide, while calling for stronger action against violence against women following a spate of killings in recent months around Johannesburg, in Cape Town, South Africa, September 24, 2026. REUTERS/Esa Alexander
Demonstrators take part in an awareness walk for victims of gender-based violence and femicide, while calling for stronger action against violence against women following a spate of killings in recent months around Johannesburg, in Cape Town, South Africa, September 24, 2026. REUTERS/Esa Alexander
Forensic investigators work at the site where the body of a woman was discovered on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Forensic investigators work at the site where the body of a woman was discovered on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Overview

  • President Cyril Ramaphosa told the nation late Tuesday that 11 women’s bodies have been found in Ekurhuleni since July and named several victims as part of a wider reckoning with gender‑based violence.
  • He elevated the Ekurhuleni investigation to a specialised national multidisciplinary team led by the deputy national commissioner for detectives to coordinate detectives, crime intelligence, forensic specialists and digital investigators.
  • Ramaphosa ordered a national case‑recovery operation that must audit unresolved murders, rapes and stalled prosecutions within 60 days and deliver individual recovery plans for priority cases within 90 days.
  • The president demanded a funded 60‑day plan to tackle the Police Forensic Science Laboratory backlog, ring‑fence priority DNA and other samples for rape and murder cases, and require quarterly public reporting on turnaround times.
  • Authorities have made arrests in some Ekurhuleni cases and say current forensic and mobile‑data analysis does not show a single perpetrator is responsible for all deaths, while the government will publish a consolidated progress report within 90 days.