Ramaphosa tells Ekurhuleni families the 11 cases will not go cold

President Cyril Ramaphosa has told the families of women killed in and around Ekurhuleni that their cases will not be allowed to go cold, and said the state is bringing its capabilities together to establish what happened and to identify those responsible.

Addressing the nation on Tuesday night, the President said the discovery of another woman’s body in Springs on Sunday brought to 11 the number of women’s bodies found in Ekurhuleni since July.

“The state is bringing together its available capabilities to establish what happened and to identify those responsible,” he said.

He said government would keep the public informed as investigations progress, without compromising those investigations or the rights of those involved.

Ramaphosa appealed directly to community members who may hold information. “If you know something, say something. If you have reason to fear that something is wrong, report it immediately. Hours matter. Information matters. A photograph matters. A vehicle registration number matters,” he said.

A message, a telephone call or an observation that seems insignificant, he said, may provide the clue investigators need.

Police visibility has been increased in Ekurhuleni alongside the investigations. The President said those operations will continue “as long as they are required”.

He was clear that policing alone will not settle the problem. “We cannot police our way out of gender-based violence alone. We cannot arrest our way out of this crisis alone. And we cannot wait until a woman is murdered before the state intervenes,” he said.

“Our task must be to prevent the violence before it happens. As a government, we are determined that attention and resources be directed at all parts of the country where women are under siege from gender-based violence.”

Ramaphosa said that since gender-based violence and femicide was classified as a national disaster last year, government has reprioritised resources and strengthened coordination across the criminal justice system and survivor-support services.

The National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide is now operational and carries the responsibility to coordinate and drive the national response. Its board held its inaugural meeting in Pretoria in August 2026.

Resources have been allocated to strengthen the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units, the President said, and the Minister of Finance will allocate more in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement to be tabled on 21 October 2026.

Government is also expanding Sexual Offences Courts. Thuthuzela Care Centres continue to provide medical, forensic, counselling and legal services to survivors. Shelter services are being expanded, and the processing of DNA and forensic evidence is being strengthened. The law is being tightened to make it harder for perpetrators of gender-based violence and domestic abuse to obtain bail.

Police stations across the country have established Victim Friendly Services and GBV desks, and officers continue to receive training on gender-based violence, he said.

The President set out what he expects of the system a woman encounters when she reports. A woman who summons the courage to report abuse must not be turned away from a police station, he said. A woman seeking a protection order must not be sent from office to office. A protection order must not become merely a piece of paper while an abuser continues to threaten his victim. A forensic sample must not sit unprocessed while a perpetrator remains free. A case must not collapse because a docket has been lost, an investigation has been poorly conducted, or a survivor has been treated without dignity.

“Where the state fails women, we must hold ourselves accountable and correct those failures,” Ramaphosa said.

Source: SAnews (South African Government News Agency), Cases of murdered Ekurhuleni women will not go cold. This report is based on that official summary of the President’s address rather than a full transcript.