‘Where’s the sense of urgency?’ Alison Botha urges action after nine women found dead in Ekurhuleni

Alison Botha, a survivor of a brutal 1994 attack, has called for urgent, meaningful action after the discovery of nine women’s bodies across Ekurhuleni. In an emotional video message she asked why the scale of gender-based violence in South Africa has not prompted greater government urgency and sustained intervention.

Survivor calls the nation to account

Botha, who was abducted on 18 December 1994 in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), reminded South Africans of her own ordeal in which she was sexually assaulted, stabbed more than 30 times and had her throat slit before being left for dead. She survived and later spoke publicly about the attack in the hope of helping to tackle violence against women.

Reflecting on the current wave of killings, Botha said:

“I went on to talk about what had happened to me in the hope that bringing awareness to the situation would help the crisis. But here we are, over 30 years later, and the GBV crisis in our country is no better. In fact, it’s worse.”

Nine bodies found across Ekurhuleni

The nine victims were discovered in different parts of Ekurhuleni since July. The first five bodies were found in the Kempton Park area, and others were located in Clayville, Olifantsfontein, Rhodesfield, KwaThema and Dawn Park. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said eight of the nine victims had been identified, though the families of only seven had been informed at that time.

Among those publicly identified are Itumeleng Kekana, Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, Dineo Evelyn Motapane and Gracious Nkomo. Police have launched a multidisciplinary investigation to examine whether the deaths are linked.

Arrests and warnings

Authorities have not confirmed that a single perpetrator or group is responsible for all nine deaths. Police have announced that two women and a man were arrested for the Dawn Park murder. The discovery of the ninth body intensified fears about a possible serial killer and prompted police warnings to residents.

Botha: temporary precautions not enough

Police and community leaders have urged women to take precautions in areas where bodies were found, such as avoiding walking or running alone. Botha said such measures could not become permanent solutions.

She asked:

“Where’s the sense of urgency? Where’s the action? We are tired. We are tired of always having to look over our shoulders everywhere we go. We’re tired of having to organise to go out in groups.”

Botha compared the response to the GBV crisis with the measures taken during the Covid-19 pandemic and referenced research on risk: she cited a less than 5% Covid-19 fatality figure recorded in South Africa during the early stages of the pandemic and said women face a more than 33% risk from GBV. The Human Sciences Research Council’s national GBV study found that more than one in three South African women aged 18 and older had experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.

A call for lasting change

Botha said the latest killings reopened painful questions about how many more women must die before there is meaningful change. She offered solidarity to women living with fear and urged leaders to implement “impactful, long-lasting and real change.”