Emily Mgidi
Police are trying to piece together what happened to five women whose bodies have been discovered in the Kempton Park area.
The latest discovery was made today. Investigators are working to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and whether there are any links between the cases.
The developments have left residents concerned, particularly women who walk, run or travel alone in the area.
The body of 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo was positively identified by her family at the Germiston mortuary today.
Addressing the media, the family confirmed that they had positively identified Moselakgomo.
Her uncle, Lieutenant Colonel Andries Matlaila, said the eight-year-old daughter became concerned when her mother did not return at her usual time after going jogging.
The child then alerted the family, prompting them to report Moselakgomo missing, Matlaila said.
He said the young girl was in good hands and was being cared for by the family.
“As a family, we will only know when her funeral will take place after police have completed the postmortem and provided us with further information,” Matlaila said.
Acting national police commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane has vowed that those responsible will be identified, traced and brought to justice.
“We will not rest until we have established the truth,” Dimpane said.
She has directed a multidisciplinary team of detectives and specialised policing units to intensify the investigation.
The team is examining evidence from the different cases. It is also looking for possible links.
Acting Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Major General Fred Kekana has urged the public and media not to conclude before investigators have established the facts.
“At this stage, investigators are considering all possibilities. We are not limiting ourselves to one suspect or one theory,” Kekana said.
He said evidence, rather than speculation, would determine the direction of the investigation.
“Our duty is to establish the truth, and we will allow the evidence to guide us,” he said.
Kekana said gender-based violence and femicide remained a priority for the South African Police Service.
“GBVF is a priority crime for the South African Police Service (SAPS) and it will not be left unattended,” he said.
Police have also raised concerns about a separate pattern of alleged crimes reported at Kempton Park Police Station.
Kekana said about 10 cases had been reported involving people who met individuals online before allegedly being robbed and sexually assaulted.
He urged women and young girls to take extra precautions when walking, running or exercising alone.
“Where possible, walk, exercise and run in groups,” he said.
He also encouraged people to keep their mobile phones with them and remain aware of their surroundings.
People should also tell someone where they are going, he said.
Dimpane expressed her condolences to the Moselakgomo family.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of Elizabeth during this extremely painful time,” she said.
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula also expressed his condolences to the Moselakgomo family and others affected by the deaths.
“Our hearts go out to the family of Elizabeth Tsontso Moselakgomo and all the families affected by this horrific tragedy,” Mbalula said.
He called on police to move swiftly against those responsible.
“We call upon the police to act swiftly to bring the perpetrators to book and once again declare that there is no space in our society for those who kill our women,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters has criticised what it described as a deeply entrenched culture of victim-blaming in society’s response to violence against women.
The party said women were routinely told by law enforcement and other institutions to be careful about where they go.
They are also told to consider what time they travel, what they wear, whether they drink, who they associate with and how they conduct themselves.
The EFF said this placed responsibility for preventing violence on the people subjected to it.
It said responsibility should instead lie with the men who commit these crimes and the institutions responsible for preventing and prosecuting them.
“Women do not cause men to rape them, murder them, sexually assault them, stalk them, intimidate them or abuse them financially, emotionally or physically,” the party said.
The EFF said victim-blaming was inseparable from a broader culture in which everyday violence and the objectification of women were tolerated.
It said these behaviours were often presented as expressions of manhood.
The party said aggression, sexual entitlement, control, intimidation and domination were too often normalised as characteristics of masculinity.
At the same time, women were expected to restrict their freedom to accommodate male violence.
The EFF said the scale of gender-based violence in South Africa showed why this approach needed to change.
According to the party, the latest quarterly crime statistics recorded 9 233 cases of rape.
More than 40% of these cases occurred in the homes of victims or perpetrators, the EFF said.
The party said the figures demonstrated why women could not simply be instructed to avoid certain public spaces or change their behaviour to protect themselves.
“For many women, the danger exists within their homes and relationships and comes from people they know,” the EFF said.
The EFF also criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa over what it described as a lack of political will and funding for reforms and support under the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.
The party said Ramaphosa had declared GBVF a crisis.
However, it accused him and his ministers of failing to introduce what it described as reassuring interventions.
The EFF has called for a comprehensive investigation into the deaths of the women found in the Kempton Park area.
This should include an examination of previous missing-person reports connected to the area.
The party also wants the conduct of police in responding to those reports examined.
Kempton Park SAPS must publicly account for when it became aware of each discovery, the EFF said.
It also wants police to explain what action was taken after each incident.
The party questioned why the response intensified only after public attention was drawn to the disappearance of a possible victim and the possibility of a recurring pattern emerged.
The EFF has also called for policing measures to improve the safety of women in the area.
It questioned how women could continue to be murdered in the same place if a clear pattern had been established.
The party said this pointed to what it described as a lack of intervention.
It said this undermined the safety women deserve in South Africa.
One suspect was arrested in connection with the discovery of the first body in July. The suspect remains in custody.
Police have appealed to anyone with information about the deaths, suspicious activity in the affected areas or the movements of any of the victims to contact Warrant Officer Elvis Manyike on 082 465 7249.
“We are on the ground. We are investigating. We have mobilised resources. We are following the evidence. And we will pursue those responsible,” Kekana said.