Ramaphosa declares Ekurhuleni killings a national crisis as team works round the clock

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the killings of women in and around Ekurhuleni a national crisis, and a multidisciplinary specialised team has been mobilised to work around the clock to identify and apprehend those responsible.

The declaration and the deployment are set out in a statement issued by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) on Thursday, as carried by SAnews, the South African Government News Agency. The statement is a summary of government’s position rather than the full record of the investigation, and it does not name any suspect, any victim or any court date.

What the state has done so far

Government joined the President in extending its deepest condolences to the families and communities affected by the killings. Ramaphosa has directed that the investigation receive the highest level of attention from government and law enforcement agencies.

The specialised team is the operational instrument here. It has been tasked with identifying and apprehending those responsible, and it draws on more than one discipline, which is the standard response when a series of killings is treated as connected until the evidence says otherwise.

Government has also asked anyone with information that may assist the investigation to report it directly to the South African Police Service. For those searching for a missing relative or friend in connection with the incidents, the contact point given is Warrant Officer Elvis Manyike on 082 465 7249.

The case government is making to communities

GCIS has put the prevention side of the response in the hands of residents as well as the police. “As this work continues, it is important to recognise that building safer communities is a shared responsibility,” the agency said. “Creating safer neighbourhoods where criminal activity cannot thrive requires a collaborative effort between law enforcement, individuals, local authorities, schools, business and civil society.”

Communities have been urged to use the safety structures that already exist, including Community Police Forums, neighbourhood watches and other community safety initiatives, while working closely with SAPS and local authorities.

Residents have also been encouraged to stay alert to what happens around them and to report suspicious behaviour. The activities named in the statement include the peddling and use of illicit drugs, illegal firearms, gender-based violence and femicide, the abuse of children and the elderly, vandalism, and other illegal conduct that undermines the rule of law.

GCIS encouraged residents to know their neighbours and to support vulnerable members of the community, particularly the elderly, women and children. “If you see something, speak out. Do not look away,” it said. “Every person can contribute to make neighbourhoods safe by reporting crime and supporting those that are at risk.”

A warning against spreading unverified claims

Government has warned members of the public against sharing unverified information about the incidents. It said this could compromise the investigation or cause further distress to the affected families.

That warning sits alongside the appeal for information, and the two are not in tension. The police want what residents saw and heard. They do not want a name circulated on a messaging group before it has been checked, because a wrong name travels faster than a correction and lands on a family that has already lost someone.

What happens next

The investigation continues under the specialised team, and government has asked anyone with information to take it to SAPS or to Warrant Officer Manyike. No date has been given for an arrest, a court appearance or a report back, and the statement names none.

Source: SAnews (South African Government News Agency), Government urges collaboration to create safer neighbourhoods, https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/government-urges-collaboration-create-safer-neighbourhoods