At least five women and two children have been killed in separate incidents in Gauteng in the past 48 hours.
The victims are believed to have known their alleged killers in these incidents. This highlights the surge in femicide cases in the country.
In the first incident, on Tuesday night a man allegedly shot and killed his 21-year-old girlfriend and her mother in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg.
The suspect is on the run. He allegedly arrived at the deceased house and, without saying a word, fired shots at the victims.
In the second incident, on Wednesday morning, a suspect handed himself over to police after a body of a woman was found in a room in Tembisa.
In the third incident on Monday, bodies of a 58-year old woman and her two grandsons were found in Protea Glen.
Gauteng police spokesperson Mathapelo Peters says: “Police are appealing for information following the gruesome discovery of the bodies of a 58-year old woman and two boys now confirmed as her grandsons aged nine and 14, in a house in Protea Glen, Extension 24, in the early hours of Monday morning. Preliminary evidence suggests that the deceased were stabbed after the three victims were found with injuries on the upper bodies.” The suspect is the woman’s ex-boyfriend.
Tolerance
The incidents have prompted the Gauteng Police Commissioner, Elias Mawela to call for tolerance and restraint.
He says the levels of violence against women and children have reached alarming proportions.
The latest crime statistics show that more than 4500 people were murdered in Gauteng between April last year and March this year.
Lead from the front
In the video below, the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to lead from the front in the fight against gender-based violence:
Director of the women’s empower organisation, Wise 4 Afrika, Advocate Brenda Madumise talks about laws addressing gender-based violence and femicide:
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has reviewed certain laws in order to improve the response of the criminal justice system, with regard to Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.
This was announced earlier this month following the Cabinet’s approval of the introduction of the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill, Sexual Offences and Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bills.
