Janez Vermeiren Calls for Harsher Punishment After 8 Women Found Murdered Near Johannesburg

• Janez Vermeiren posted a passionate video from his car in Cap Town on 16 September 2026, addressing violence against women in South Africa
• The luxury lifestyle personality directed his anger at corrupt politicians, blaming them for under-resourced police and rampant gender-based violence
• Vermeiren sparked fierce debate after calling for South Africa to reintroduce the death penalty for rape and murder convictions

Luxury lifestyle personality and Instagram creator Janez Vermeiren has taken to social media with a raw, emotionally charged video addressing South Africa's escalating femicide crisis, calling out corrupt politicians and making a bold push to bring back the death penalty.

Filmed from the driver's seat of a parked car in Cape Town on 16 September 2026, the selfie-style clip sees Vermeiren speak directly to camera in a tone that builds from grief to outright fury. His message was sparked by a police investigation into eight women found dead in similar circumstances across Gauteng since July 2026, a pattern that has sent shockwaves through communities and reignited urgent conversations about gender-based violence and femicide.

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Vermeiren blames government for Women's deaths

Vermeiren kept his focus squarely on the victims and those he holds responsible. He accused corrupt politicians of diverting funds that should have protected ordinary South Africans, leaving police under-resourced, streets unsafe, and poverty unchecked.

"Every time a woman is attacked in a place where she should have been made to feel even safer, that's on you, guys. Every single time a family loses a daughter, a mother, a sister," he said, visibly emotional.

He went further, stating that diplomatic language on social media no longer felt appropriate. "I'm tired of mincing my words and being all diplomatic on social media. Enough of that. These are real victims here," he added.

The death penalty debate reignited

The most controversial part of Vermeiren's monologue was his direct call for South Africa to revisit capital punishment. He argued that, in cases where guilt is established beyond reasonable doubt for rape, murder, or violent crime, the consequences need to match the gravity of the offence.

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"I seriously think that as South Africans we need to have a debate about the death penalty," he said, "because if someone is convicted beyond any reasonable doubt of rape or of murder or of violent crime I believe the punishment should reflect the seriousness of what those animals have actually done."

He closed the video with a sharp message aimed at politicians: "I hope every single one of you burn a slow death in hell. And I know that God has a very special plan for you. Karma is real, guys."

Watch Janez Vermeiren's full video on Instagram below:

Below are some of the reactions online:

@amandadupont: "Thank you ✊🏽💔"

@boity: "YES!!!! BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY!!!!!"

@knaomin: "Our president needs to listen to this and should OPEN HIS EARS‼️ WE ARE TIRED‼️ I wish more men would speak up, thank you @janez_vermeiren"

@tanseycoetzee: "I agree with you; DEATH PENALTY needs to be brought back."

@thekiffness: "Ultimately the death penalty hinges on whether a society trusts its legal and political institutions enough to wield the irrevocable power of life and death, or whether the risk of corruption and the execution of the innocent outweighs the perceived benefits of justice."

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@candy_and_the_kings: "Can men also stop pointing fingers at the government and do their part? Raise good men."

Rachel Kolisi speaks on anti-GBV march

In a previous report from Briefly News, Rachel Kolisi shared a throwback photo from a GBV march held after Uyinene Mrwetyana's murder.

She recalled a harrowing confrontation with authorities, making her feel what it was like being in the receiving end.

Source: Briefly News