South Africans Protest Killings of Nine Women

South Africans gathered for memorial runs and public protests this week following the killings of nine women near Johannesburg, sparking widespread anger and fear over gender-based violence.

Over the past two months, police discovered the bodies of nine victims in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, and are actively investigating whether the cases are linked.

Most victims were in their 20s and 30s, with several found stripped and showing signs of sexual assault.

A Saturday morning memorial run in Johannesburg honoured victim Elizabeth Moselakgomo, who disappeared during a jog before authorities found her body days later.

Attendees dressed in black, lit candles, and carried banners demanding an end to femicide.

“We are not safe anywhere,” stated runner Lerato Lentsela. “We are not safe running, we are not safe at a post office, we are not safe on a date, we are not safe in our own homes, and we are not safe in an Uber.”

The killings renewed intense public outrage despite the government declaring gender-based violence a national disaster in 2025.

Advocacy groups criticised official advice urging women to take individual precautions. “Stop placing the responsibility of our safety back onto us,” stated advocacy group Women for Change. “Women should not have to organise their entire lives around surviving violence and not being next.”

While President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged that authorities would leave “no stone unturned” in their investigations, critics highlighted systemic policing failures, where corruption and resource shortages leave roughly 90 per cent of murder cases unsolved nationwide.

Merlize Jogiat of Women for Change noted that police only found the nine victims due to a temporary increase in local police presence, emphasising that the crisis remains a national issue.

Echoing the call for systemic accountability, the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation declared, “Enough is enough. Our women deserve to live, walk, run and exist without fear.”