Cyril Ramaphosa Vows to Pull Out All Stops to Catch Ekurhuleni Killers, South Africans Are Sceptical
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has weighed in on the murders in Ekurhuleni, promising that action will be taken
- Nine women's bodies were found dumped across Ekurhuleni within nine weeks, with arrests made in only two of the deaths
- South Africans weighed in on Ramaphosa's comments on social media, with many expressing scepticism
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
GAUTENG — President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to spare no effort in tracking down those responsible for a series of killings of women in Ekurhuleni.
The President made the comments on the sidelines of the African National Congress's Veterans League golf fundraiser at the Country Club in Woodmead on Monday, 21 September 2026.
Speaking about the deaths of nine women in the space of nine weeks, Ramaphosa said the government would deploy additional funding, resources and technology to bolster its efforts to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.
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"We will be pulling out all the stops to find these perpetrators. And the message must also go to men. Men must continue respecting women, honouring women. The women of our country are the builders of the nation. They carry this nation on their shoulders," he said.
Ramaphosa acknowledges that government's response wasn't perfect
Ramaphosa also acknowledged that the government's response to gender-based violence (GBV) had not been without fault, conceding there would be "missteps" and areas of neglect. Despite this, he insisted the administration remained firmly committed to protecting women across the country.
"Gender-based violence is not only a problem for women, but it's also a national crisis, and we need to be treating it with exactly that," he said.
He stated that the government's inter-ministerial committee on GBV would roll out a number of new initiatives aimed at addressing the crisis more effectively, but did not specify the timeline for these measures.
"We are committed to ensuring that the lives of our women are safe, and we will do everything we can," he added.
South Africans remain sceptical
South Africans responding to the news were largely sceptical, with several pointing to unresolved high-profile cases and unfulfilled government promises as reasons for doubt.
Kika Masentle Silva questioned the president's resolve, writing:
"Mxm, the same way he made sure that Morgan Maumela gets arrested for defrauding Tembisa hospital for almost two billion rands."
Leigh Vilakazi asked:
"So no mention of R600 million to fight against this?"
Mirror Seipone was blunt, writing simply:
"Believe him at your own risk."
Magasela Mnqonywa said:
"Eish, just talk. Even now we are still waiting for the Senzo Meyiwa case."
Bulelani Rubushe added:
"Soweto is still waiting for those houses. They did not even get free, cheap matchbox houses."
Minister tells South African men to stop murdering women
Briefly News reported that Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga addressed South African men directly at a government memorial in Ekurhuleni.
The memorial was held to mourn nine women killed in a wave of gender-based violence within the space of two months.
Chikunga's remarks that South African men are responsible prompted fierce online pushback, with many rejecting her framing of the crisis.
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Source: Briefly News
