EKURHULENI KILLINGS: Ramaphosa admits the government has failed women and vows action

In a poignant address addressing gender-based violence's impact on women, President Cyril Ramaphosa vowed new interventions. Yet, for the victims of the Ekurhuleni killings, this announcement came too late. On Tuesday evening, Ramaphosa admitted the government hadn't done enough to protect women, calling the violence a "pain and national shame."

He referenced his 2019 address on gender-based violence and femicide following Uyinene Mrwetyana's murder. "Women should not have to live in fear because government has failed to repair a light, clear a public space, process evidence or enforce a law," Ramaphosa stressed.

He highlighted that 11 women's bodies had been found in Ekurhuleni since July, naming victims from across the country, including young girls and an elderly grandmother. "Behind each of these terrible deaths was a human being – a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend – whose life had value, whose future mattered and whose absence has left a family and a community grieving," Ramaphosa said.

He emphasized that women should not live in fear of becoming the next victim and that stronger measures were needed to prevent femicide, acknowledging policing alone would not end the crisis.

Ramaphosa outlined four interventions to strengthen the state's response to gender-based violence (GBV): a national case-recovery operation, addressing the forensic backlog, conducting women's safety audits, and tackling alcohol-related violence. The Inter-Ministerial Committee and National Council on GBV and Femicide will monitor these measures, with a first consolidated progress report due within 90 days.

The families of the Ekurhuleni victims expressed disappointment at the President's words and promises, arriving too late.