‘Someone has declared war’: Lesufi vows action after ninth woman’s body found

Gauteng

Johannesburg – Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has vowed that the state will “push back” against those responsible for a series of women’s deaths in Ekurhuleni after the body of a ninth woman was discovered in Dawn Park, Boksburg, on Thursday. 

Lesufi spoke to the media at the scene, where the woman’s partially naked body was found wrapped in a sheet on the side of the road. 

Police said a passerby discovered the body and that preliminary indications were that it had been dumped at the scene. The woman had not yet been identified and the circumstances surrounding her death remained under investigation. 

The discovery brings to nine the number of women whose bodies have been found in Ekurhuleni since July, as police investigate whether there are links between the cases. 

Lesufi said the state would not retreat in the face of the killings. 

“Someone has declared war against us and we will push back. We’re not going to surrender,” he said. 

He said intensified operations under Operation Shanela began at 6am, with law-enforcement teams deployed to areas being targeted as part of the investigation. 

Lesufi said investigators were making progress in several cases and urged the public to give them time to gather evidence before arrests are made. 

“We are making a breakthrough. Two or three cases are going to yield results. South Africans must be patient,” he said. 

The premier said investigators were briefing authorities regularly and that evidence was being gathered from various sources, including CCTV footage and information from technology companies. 

“I’ve just been briefed now by the provincial commissioner, acting provincial commissioner, and I’m convinced,” Lesufi said. 

He rejected calls for arrests to be made simply because of public pressure, saying law enforcement needed sufficient evidence before suspects could be taken into custody. 

“We can’t just arrest somebody if we have not concretised the evidence,” he said. 

The comments came as police intensified their response to the deaths. A multidisciplinary team comprising detectives, forensic investigators, crime intelligence and specialised units has been deployed to investigate the cases. 

Police have also offered a R400,000 reward for information that could lead to arrests, while the Democratic Alliance has announced a separate R500,000 reward for information leading to successful prosecutions. 

The latest discovery follows the identification of 38-year-old Dineo Evelyn Motapane, whose body was found in KwaThema, Springs, earlier this week. Her family identified her body at the Springs Mortuary on Wednesday. 

Police have warned against speculation about a possible serial killer, saying investigators are still examining whether the cases are connected. 

Lesufi said the investigation had already yielded leads and expressed confidence in the police team. 

“They’ve declared war against the state. We’ll respond. We’re not going to surrender,” he said. 

Police have appealed to anyone with information that could assist the investigation to come forward as the search for those responsible continues. 

Picture: X/@GP_CommSafety

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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi

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