South Africa to clean up high-risk areas after 12 women killed

What the report says

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered a broad clean-up of high-risk areas after the bodies of 12 women were found east of Johannesburg over a two-month period, prompting a national backlash over violence against women. The BBC reported that the killings have led to four arrests and intensified concern in a country that already faces some of the world’s highest levels of gender-based violence.

In a national address, Ramaphosa said the government would launch a multidisciplinary emergency response. He said municipalities should immediately carry out women’s safety audits to identify hazards such as poor street lighting, abandoned buildings, unsafe transport routes, overgrown public spaces and insecure parks. He also announced steps aimed at reducing alcohol-related violence, while stressing that alcohol does not excuse abuse and that responsibility lies with perpetrators.

Ramaphosa said the police had not found evidence that the killings were carried out by a single offender, despite public fear that the victims’ proximity suggested that possibility. He also acknowledged that the state has not done enough to protect women and girls. The BBC noted that, beyond policing and law enforcement, the president called for a wider cultural shift and urged men and boys to help end gender-based violence. The issue remains especially pressing in South Africa, where broader murder and assault figures continue to highlight severe public safety problems.