Buntu Petse Says There Is No 'Extra Precaution' for Women Amid SA Serial Killer Fears
- South African actress and activist Buntu Petse sparked a major online conversation about GBV and femicide in South Africa
- Petse pushed back against advice urging women to take extra precautions amid fears of a suspected serial killer in Kempton Park
- Her post named a wide range of perpetrators, arguing that the threat to women extends far beyond one suspect
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Source: Instagram
South African actress, author, and activist Buntu Petse has ignited a fierce conversation online after sharing a post challenging the narrative that women simply need to be more careful to stay safe. The post, shared on Instagram amid growing concern over suspected serial killer activity in Kempton Park, quickly gained traction for the way it reframed the broader danger that women face every day.
Petse, who is well known for using her platform to speak out against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and femicide, pushed back sharply against calls for women to take "extra precautions" in the wake of the Kempton Park murders. Rather than dismissing the specific threat, she widened the lens entirely.
GBV is not one killer's problem
In her post, Buntu Petse wrote:
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"A serial killer is ONE of our problems. We still face the inexorable potential of GBV and femicide from Uber/Bolt drivers, Dates, Boyfriends, Uncles, Husbands, Taxi Drivers, Dads, Strangers, Nice Guys, Bosses, Guy Friends, Fathers, Teachers, School Transport Drivers, Colleagues, pastors, so... There's no such thing as 'Extra Precaution'."
The message landed hard for many women who feel that safety advice places the burden of responsibility on victims rather than perpetrators. South Africa consistently records some of the world's highest rates of gender-based violence, and conversations like the one sparked by Petse's post reflect a frustration that has been building for years among women who feel unseen and unprotected.
Mzansi weighs in and agrees with her
The post drew a wide range of responses. Not everyone agreed with Petse's framing.
@Bona pushed back, writing:
"Extra precautions… police are not saying every woman must be, but specifically in that place that they suspected a serial killer because they don't know what made the person attack women, so stop invalidating what the police guys… People must be careful because the serial killer is still out there dancing in the sun"
@keke_mphuthi offered support:
"VERY WELL SAID… We are the problem in their eyes, our very existence. 💔💔💔"
@uncornniks asked a painful question:
"When did staying alive as a woman in South Africa become so difficult?! 🥺"
@stacey took a more drastic stance:
"We can grow the population outside in a village of just women; we have that technology now. Male offspring to be transported into the male population; girls remain on the island... Let us just live in peace, God. Just give us land far away from men; let us go."
Hundreds of women protested against femicide
Hundreds of women marched against femicide in Ecuador, which a gender violence NGO says has claimed more than 200 victims since the start of the year.
The country was rocked by the murder of lawyer Maria Belen Bernal, who disappeared after entering a police training facility in the capital, Quito, where she had gone to visit her husband.
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Source: Briefly News
