Cachalia speaks out on the Kempton Park murders while casting his vote - IOL

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has told IOL that police have made considerable progress in at least five murder investigations linked to the killing of women in Ekurhuleni and other parts of Gauteng.

Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia has revealed to IOL that police have made “considerable progress” in investigating at least five of the murders linked to the discovery of several women's bodies in Kempton Park and other parts of Gauteng.

“The last time I had a report and update on those murders was about two weeks ago, and at that point there was considerable progress being made. I was quite hopeful that most of those cases would be solved within a reasonable period of time.

“They had already, by that time, made considerable progress in at least five of the murders,” he said.

Cachalia said the investigations were complicated because the victims were unrelated, had been murdered in different locations and their bodies were subsequently brought to Kempton Park.

“You know, you're dealing with bodies of different people who are unrelated. Many of them were murdered in different places and their bodies brought to Kempton Park.

“So the investigations are complex. Bodies were discovered after a long period of time, and that makes it more difficult for forensic evidence and so forth.”

“But the police are still investigating those cases with their detectives, with the assistance of crime intelligence,” he said.

His comments come amid growing concern over the murders of several women in Ekurhuleni and other parts of Gauteng.

Since July, at least 12 women have been murdered in Ekurhuleni and other parts of the province, including runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo in September 2026.

The killings have sparked public outrage and renewed calls for justice and stronger protection for women.

IOL has reported extensively on the murders, including the killings, including that one of Moselakgomo, whose body was discovered in the Kempton Park area on September 12. 

Her murder prompted nationwide outrage and concerns that a serial killer could be operating in the East Rand.

Moselakgomo was reported missing by her eight-year-old daughter after she failed to return from an afternoon run.

Meanwhile, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi outlined plans over the weekend to deploy 1,022 gender-based violence (GBV) response teams across 122 high-risk areas as the provincial government intensifies efforts to tackle violence against women and children.

Addressing the province's response to President Cyril Ramaphosa's directives on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) on Sunday, November 1, Lesufi said the intervention would also include additional social workers, strengthened specialised courts and improved victim support services.

The measures form part of Gauteng's 90-day intervention programme aimed at addressing the province's GBVF crisis, including outstanding rape and murder cases, forensic backlogs and inadequate safety measures.

Lesufi acknowledged the severity of the crisis and the province's responsibility to respond.

“Gauteng bears a significant share of our nation's gender-based violence and femicide crisis, and we fully accept our duty to act,” he said.

The provincial government has identified 10 police stations recording the highest numbers of rape cases for additional intervention.

Among those identified are Rietgat, Alexandra, Mamelodi, Diepsloot, Ivory Park, Dobsonville, Midrand and Tembisa.

The intervention plan includes deploying 1,022 GBV response teams across 122 high-risk areas and adding 56 social workers to strengthen support for victims and survivors.

The province also plans to strengthen seven specialised Sexual Offences Courts and 144 victim-friendly facilities to improve the handling of cases involving women and children.

Gauteng's 19 Medical Legal Clinics are also expected to play a role in safeguarding forensic evidence and supporting criminal investigations.

The measures follow Ramaphosa's September 29 address, during which he instructed authorities to accelerate investigations into outstanding cases of murder, attempted murder, rape and serious sexual offences involving women and children.