Lesufi slams DA for ‘political opportunism’ after ninth woman’s body found

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has hit back at the Democratic Alliance (DA) over its response to the killings of women in Ekurhuleni, accusing the party of using the deaths of victims to score political points.

The war of words comes as the discovery of the ninth woman’s body in Ekurhuleni has deepened fear and anger in communities already shaken by a series of killings.

Lesufi said the latest discovery should prompt urgent action and solidarity with grieving families, not political campaigning.

“This is a time for decisive action, responsible leadership and cooperation among all stakeholders — not political grandstanding,” Lesufi said.

He also criticised the DA’s announcement of a R500,000 reward, arguing that the move, which he said lacked sufficient details, amounted to political opportunism.

“To use this tragedy to demonstrate their financial muscle by donating R500,000 without details is nothing else but a demonstration of political opportunism,” Lesufi said.

The premier rejected the DA’s suggestion that government and law enforcement had effectively abandoned women to protect themselves.

He said the South African Police Service (SAPS), together with the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department and other law-enforcement agencies, had intensified patrols, increased visibility and deployed specialised investigative resources.

SAPS has also established a multidisciplinary investigative response involving specialist detectives and forensic expertise.

Lesufi said government accepted that there were serious questions about policing resources, forensic capacity, crime intelligence and the investigation of gender-based violence.

However, he said criticism should not obscure the efforts already under way.

“We agree that action is needed. We disagree that political campaigning is a substitute for that action,” he said.

The premier also defended police warnings urging residents to exercise caution in areas where bodies had been discovered, saying these were intended as immediate safety measures while investigations continued.

“The women whose lives have been lost are not campaign slogans. Their families are not political props. Their deaths demand justice,” Lesufi said.

The provincial government called on political parties, civil society and community organisations to put victims and their families first.

“There must be accountability. There must be justice. And there must be action,” Lesufi said.