ENOUGH!: The Star takes a stand against gender-based violence and femicide in SA - IOL
Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, a member of the Team Vitality running community, was among eight women whose bodies were discovered in the Ekurhuleni area since July.
The Star is taking a stand against the relentless killing of women in South Africa.
The black front page, carrying a single word - ENOUGH! - is deliberately stark.
There are no photographs, and no distractions. It is a visual statement of grief, anger, and solidarity with the women and families devastated by gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
This comes amid growing outrage over the deaths of eight women in Ekurhuleni and the wider scourge of GBVF that continues to claim lives across South Africa.
We are doing this because shock and outrage can no longer be temporary reactions to another woman being killed. Every murder cannot simply become another headline, followed by a statement of condemnation and then forgotten when the next tragedy occurs.
ENOUGH! is The Star saying that this must stop. It is a call for the government to move beyond promises, strategies, and declarations to deliver meaningful action, accountability, and justice.
It is a call for the police and the criminal justice system to treat violence against women with the urgency it deserves.
It is a call for communities to challenge the attitudes and behaviours that enable violence. And it is a call for all South Africans to refuse to accept the killing of women as an inevitable part of our society.
Most importantly, this is about giving voice to women who can no longer speak for themselves and to the families left behind to bury daughters, mothers, sisters, and friends.
If it wasn't for Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo's friends and family raising the alarm about her disappearance, would we have known about the other deaths?
ENOUGH! is not just a headline. It is a line in the sand.
The Star believes women should be able to live, work, travel, and love without fearing they will become the next victim.
