Ramaphosa orders Kempton Park killings prioritised as police hunt suspects

President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed law enforcement authorities to make the killings of women in and around Kempton Park a priority, after he was briefed on the investigation by the Police Minister and the Acting National Police Commissioner.

The President said the authorities must pursue every possible lead to identify those responsible. He extended his condolences to the families and communities affected.

As CapeTown ETC reported on 15 September, the Presidency said the government shares the concerns being raised by South Africans following the deaths. Ramaphosa acknowledged the uncertainty and fear the incidents have created, particularly among women, and said the response must go beyond solving these particular cases, calling for the country to stand up for the rights, safety and dignity of women and girls.

“I have directed that these cases be prioritised and that no stone be left unturned in bringing those responsible to justice,” he said.

The investigation, and what the police are asking for

Law enforcement teams are working to establish exactly what happened while also taking steps to protect communities and ensure that those responsible face justice, according to the Presidency.

The investigation will rely in part on information from members of the public. Ramaphosa urged anyone who may know something about the incidents to come forward, and the appeal extends to people who have missing relatives or friends who may be connected to the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Warrant Officer Elvis Manyike on 082 465 7249.

Investigators have asked that information be passed on no matter how insignificant it may seem.

What this means for people in Kempton Park

For families in and around Kempton Park, the immediate questions are personal. They want to know what happened to the women who were killed, and whether anyone will be held to account for it.

The area sits on the eastern edge of the Ekurhuleni metro, close to OR Tambo International Airport, and takes in a mix of older suburban streets, flats, hostels and informal settlement housing. It is a busy, working part of Gauteng where a great many people travel early and return late, and where the police station and the local community policing forum are the first places residents turn when something goes wrong.

The public appeal is the part of this that residents can act on directly. A description, a time, a vehicle, a name, or the fact that someone has not been seen for days can all be handed to the investigating team. The same line is open to families who are searching for a relative and do not know whether their case is connected.

The wider record on violence against women

These deaths land against a long national record of violence against women and girls, and the institutions built to answer it are well known to South Africans. The police’s family violence, child protection and sexual offences units investigate these cases. The National Prosecuting Authority takes them to court. The courts run dedicated sexual offences courts, and the state’s Thuthuzela Care Centres provide medical care, counselling and evidence collection for survivors in one place.

That system is the reason a case can move from a police docket to a conviction, and it is where the pressure to prioritise a set of killings has to translate into work: statements taken, scenes processed, forensics submitted, dockets handed to a prosecutor, and arrests that stand up in court.

What happens next

The immediate step is the investigation. The police have asked the public to come forward, and the Presidency has said the cases have been made a priority. Any information can be given to Warrant Officer Elvis Manyike on 082 465 7249.

Source: CapeTown ETC, Ramaphosa orders urgent investigation into Kempton Park women killings.