DA offers R500 000 reward for conviction of murderer of Ekurhuleni women
· The South African
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has offered a R500 000 cash reward for information that leads to the successful criminal prosecution of the person responsible for the murders of multiple women in Ekurhuleni.
The announcement comes as police continue investigating a series of deaths in the east of Gauteng.
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Encourage anyone with information to come forward
The DA said the reward was intended to supplement ongoing law-enforcement efforts and encourage anyone with relevant information to come forward.
DA Mayoral Candidate for Ekurhuleni, Khathutshelo Rasilingwane MPL, said the party was committed to helping bring the perpetrator to justice and improving safety in the municipality.
“Ekurhuleni cannot wait. Women cannot wait. Justice cannot wait,” Rasilingwane said.
READ | Ekurhuleni murders: Here are the eight cases police are investigating
The DA also paid tribute to the families of the women who have died, highlighting the case of Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo.
The party said Moselakgomo’s eight-year-old daughter was among those who first made calls raising the alarm about her mother’s disappearance.
The DA said members of the public could similarly play a role by providing information that could assist investigators.
How the reward will work
The DA stressed that it would not accept direct tip-offs or reports from members of the public.
Instead, information must first be formally submitted to the South African Police Service (SAPS).
For the reward to be considered, the DA said it must receive proof that the information was properly handed over to SAPS and recorded.
The party said the reward would apply to information that ultimately leads to a successful criminal prosecution.
Police have not yet established whether all of the recent deaths in Ekurhuleni are connected.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to identify those responsible and establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Full speech
I want to speak directly to the women of Ekurhuleni.
I want to speak to those who are frightened, scared and fearing for their lives.
I am going to be direct and clear, because this is a matter of great concern.
Women are not safe in South Africa, and we should not accept it.
I personally do not accept it, and I will not be quiet about it.
You do not need to accept it, Ekurhuleni.
Eight have been murdered here, in the past weeks, but hundreds have been murdered elsewhere.
This is not something for 16 days of activism, for an occasional march, or a new logo on your social media. This is life-and-death for my sisters in Ekurhuleni. And those around the Country.
I will not accept it.
Criminals walk among us. They walk with impunity. They act with confidence. They threaten, unchecked.
The culture of lawlessness spans from petty theft, to multiple murders. And they do it with impunity.
Our crime statistics are a bloodbath. GBV stats were so bad that the Police stopped publishing them. Go check the latest crime stats, you will find them removed.
Crimes against children are so bad the Police stopped publishing them.
The forensics that should catch perpetrators are in such a mess, they have months and years in delays.
The vehicles that should patrol and spot criminals are broken, out of service, in disrepair.
The SAPS stations that should answer when you need them don’t answer their phones. They ignore or don’t answer over 50% of you calls.
For every 2 women in danger that call the SAPS, 1 will never reach the police as her rapist or murderer approaches.
They wait until these crimes make national news, and then they jump to attention: Press conferences, Task Teams, Resources.
But day-by-day they ignore us. The Police, the Police Minister, the President. Lip service, not delivery of service.
They promise us now they are looking for this killer in Ekurhuleni. The heightened attention is working. They are upping their presence in the area.
The Task Team is assembled.
But the DA wants to give this investigation the best chance it can have.
The murderer is someone’s neighbour, someone’s friend. People know that a person has been acting strangely, has been away at night times, or returned covered in blood.
Someone has seen an act, and concealment – and this information must come out.
To catch this criminal the Police need information.
This information rests with residents, who are empowered to do the right thing, and report it.
To help this, in every way we can, the DA announces a significant support to the investigation.
The DA is offering an additional cash reward of R500,000 for information that leads to the successful criminal prosecution of the murderer of multiple women in Ekurhuleni.
This reward should encourage whoever has information to come forward immediately, to help the police investigation and to secure a criminal prosecution.
The DA is doing this because as a party we care deeply about the safety of women in Ekurhuleni, and South Africa at large.
I am announcing it because I must do what I can to help justice prevail, and help take whoever did this off our streets.
As the DA Mayoral Candidate for Ekurhuleni, the more I can do to help bring this perpetrator to book, the more we will do.
I want to see Ekurhuleni safer, and better governed, as soon as possible – and that means ensuring murderers are arrested and put in jail.
The DA is adding to the efforts of law enforcement already under way, and we are doing this to supplement and augment those efforts.
The DA is adding extra impetus for all relevant information to be handed over now, to address this crisis quickly.
Do not sit on information if you have it.
In doing this we honour the young 8-year old daughter of Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo who made the first calls highlighitng her disappearance, who brought this to light. Society can follow in her footsteps to bring the perpetrator to light too.
Ekurhuleni cannot wait. Women cannot wait. Justice cannot wait.
Information must be submitted to the South African Police Service on the record, and the DA must be provided with proof of this information being handed over to the SAPS, for the reward to be considered.
Do the right thing, and report what might be the missing piece of the puzzle.
Thank you