CAPE TOWN - Advocacy groups have expressed outrage after the bodies of two naked women were found dumped in canals in different townships at the weekend.
Gugulethu residents woke at 7am to the grim discovery of the body of a 40-year-old woman in a canal on the corners of NY44 and NY45.
Her grieving family members found her clothes scattered near the scene.
It is believed that she was dragged out of her house and was raped and then murdered.
Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said the motive for the murder was yet to be established and arrests were yet to be made.
A few hours later, at about 10am, the body of a 26-year-old woman was found with multiple wounds in a canal along Jakes Gerwel Drive in Langa.
Enraged residents searched for a man she was allegedly last seen with, assaulted him and set him alight at the Sanitizer informal settlement.
“It is believed that the man was accused by community members for the woman’s rape and murder and was set alight during a vigilante murder. Both murder cases are under investigation and arrests are yet to be made,” said Traut.
A community activist, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, said they were “utterly” shocked and unhappy about the spike of violent crimes in the area.
“Langa has never experienced the amount of violence it is seeing recently.
“Back in the day, community structures would check the background of every new person who moved in.
“This was to know if they were not a criminal who was running away from their sins.
“That might need to be return or another plan needs to be implemented, especially in the informal settlements.”
He said they were still gathering information about the incident but residents had found the 26-year-old’s bloody clothes in her shack and later discovered the body.
Lucinda Evans, executive director of Philisa Abafazi Bethu (Heal our Women), said she was dismally disappointed by Thursday’s State of the Nation address (Sona) by president Cyril Ramaphosa.
“It is time that South Africa’s women should mobilise and change the government that is still unwilling to protect our bodies.
“Women are hung in trees, dumped in rivers and bins.
“It is time for women to take up their rightful place and run the country.
“This is not not even a war anymore, it is a genocide because when men rape us, they don’t only kill us physically but all areas, including our spirits and heart.”
Ilitha Labantu's Siyabulela Monakali said they were deeply concerned by the spike in incidents of femicide plaguing the township communities of the Western Cape.
“These incidents of brutality against women aren’t isolated incidents as they form part of the ongoing violence that is perpetrated against women and children. The province appears to be leading in incidents of this nature. A collective effort is required from all stakeholders to work in partnership to create a society that respects the rights and dignity of women,” said Monakali.
Acting MEC of Community Safety Anroux Marais said: “I am absolutely devastated. One death of this nature is one too many. The perpetrators must face the full might of the law while the loved ones of the deceased receive the necessary support during this difficult time. I hereby also extend my sincere condolences to the friends, family and loved ones of the two women who lost their lives in such a horrific way.”
Any person with information regarding the incidents in Gugulethu and Langa can anonymously contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Cape Times