South Africa’s Ekurhuleni Murder Crisis: 12 Women Dead Since July as Ramaphosa Condemns ‘Stain on Conscience’

Case 12

Boitumelo Gift Mashita, 23, was shot dead on Monday in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni, while commuting to work. Her belongings were stolen during the attack.

Authorities later discovered her estranged husband dead inside his vehicle in Midrand; he had been suspected of the murder.

Investigators have confirmed no connection between this killing and the discovery of the other victims.

While most remains were found in the same area, police confirmed another body was discovered approximately 39 miles (63 km) from Ekurhuleni on 20 September.

The body of a young woman believed to be in her 20s was found wrapped in a duvet in a dam in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg.

It remains unclear whether her murder is linked to the Ekurhuleni killings.

President Cyril Ramaphosa described the murders as a “stain on our national conscience”.

South Africa records one of the world’s highest homicide rates, with 5,427 people murdered between April and June this year alone.

National police statistics do not disaggregate victims by gender, but the South African Human Rights Commission reported last week that 569 women were killed between April and June—an average of six per day.

Police have established a dedicated task team to investigate the murders and are offering a 400,000 rand ($24,000; £18,000) reward for information leading to arrests.

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