Kempton Park Police Lockdown Set to Begin as Hunt for 8 Women’s Killers Intensifies
- Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced a major police operation in Kempton Park and surrounding areas, set to begin Thursday morning
- Authorities offered a R400,000 reward for information linking to the deaths of eight women found across Ekurhuleni
- Six of the eight deceased women remain unidentified as police work to establish whether the killings are connected
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GAUTENG — A large-scale police operation is set to get underway in Kempton Park and its surrounding communities following the discovery of eight women's bodies across Ekurhuleni. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi confirming on Wednesday that ministerial approval for a security lockdown had been granted.
Lesufi announces crackdown
Lesufi made the announcement at a media briefing, saying residents in the affected areas would see a substantially increased law-enforcement presence from Thursday as investigators pursue leads believed to be significant to the case.
"We want to assure our residents in Gauteng that with the approval that we got from the minister to lock down Kempton Park and surrounding areas, as of tomorrow, we will be in a position to ensure that people in that area are safe," Lesufi said.
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Investigators hopeful of a breakthrough
The premier said authorities were encouraged by information already gathered through the investigation.
"We remain hopeful on the basis of the information provided to us by the investigators that the breakthrough is imminent," he said.
Bodies have been discovered across several Ekurhuleni locations, including Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, Clayville, Rhodesfield and KwaThema. Police are still working to determine whether the deaths are linked, and have not confirmed a single perpetrator or classified the cases as the work of a serial killer.
Six of the eight victims have yet to be identified. The Gauteng provincial government said it would commit resources to help establish their identities and locate their families.
A R400,000 reward has been offered to members of the public who can provide information that leads to arrests in connection with the killings. Lesufi appealed to residents to continue coming forward with any details that could assist investigators.
Operation Shanela expanded
Briefly News also reported that Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia had earlier on Tuesday signalled that police visibility in Kempton Park and nearby communities would be significantly increased, with a multidisciplinary team of investigators and specialists already assembled to work on the cases.
At the time of the Wednesday briefing, the specific details of the Thursday operation had not been publicly confirmed. Authorities described it as a police lockdown but did not indicate whether it would involve roadblocks, searches or movement restrictions. It should not be interpreted as a general curfew, and further guidance is expected from the South African Police Service once the operation begins.
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Source: Briefly News
