PETITION LETTER

 

To the Police Leadership of South Africa,

 

We are writing this petition in deep anger, grief, and urgent concern following the horrific discovery of the bodies of six women across Ekurhuleni (including Kempton Park).

 

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and femicide in South Africa are not simply statistics—they represent a national crisis and a collapse of structural safety for women. When multiple women can disappear and end up dead in open spaces over a short period, it signals a systemic failure in proactive policing, crime intelligence, and local protocol compliance.

 

We cannot accept assurances of "priority investigations" only AFTER tragedy strikes. South African women deserve systemic protection before they become a docket number.

 

We demand that the Department of Police and SAPS leadership immediately implement the following four non-negotiable structural reforms:

 

1. Mandatory 24/7 Specialized GBV & FCS Units at Every Station:

* Fully re-establish, fund, and staff Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) units at all local police stations.

* End the reliance on general-duty officers to handle specialized GBV reports.

* Guarantee ring-fenced budgets for DNA kits to clear forensic backlog delays halting investigations.

 

 

2.

Strict Protocols and Zero Waiting Periods for Missing Persons:

* Enforce a mandatory zero-waiting period policy for missing persons reports at every SAPS station, with immediate disciplinary consequences for officers who tell families to "wait 24 hours."

* Establish an automatic rapid-response search protocol—deploying local K9 units, drone surveillance, and regional task teams within the first 6 hours of a high-risk missing person report.

 

 

3. High-Visibility Patrols & Environmental Crime Prevention in Hotspots:

* Increase joint SAPS and Metro Police foot and vehicle patrols in identified vulnerable zones, secluded open lands, transit hubs, and riverbanks.

* Coordinate with local municipalities to immediately clear, fence, and light high-risk public areas where bodies are frequently dumped.

 

 

4. Independent Oversight & Station Commander Accountability:

* Direct the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to perform mandatory audits on all cold, delayed, or mishandled missing persons and femicide dockets.

* Hold station commanders personally accountable when local police fail to adhere to national GBV directives.

 

 

 

Women in South Africa have the right to life, freedom, and security of the person as enshrined in Section 12 of the Constitution. We demand swift, structural changes to law enforcement so that our police force protects women before it is too late.

 

We call on all South Africans to sign this petition to demand immediate police accountability and real action.