‘Where’s the sense of urgency?’ - Alison Botha speaks out after nine women found dead in Ekurhuleni - IOL

A Gender-Based Violence (GBV) awareness campaign was held in Parlock, Durban, focusing on community visibility and partnerships between private security companies and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to distribute safety resources and promote awareness.

More than three decades after surviving a horrific attack that left her fighting for her life, Alison Botha has once again stepped in front of the camera with a message for South Africa’s women.

Botha was 27 when she was abducted by two men in Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha, on December 18, 1994.

She was raped, stabbed more than 30 times and had her throat slit before her attackers left her for dead. Despite her devastating injuries, Botha survived and managed to reach a road, where she was found and rushed to hospital.

In an emotional video message, Botha reflected on her experience and questioned whether enough had changed since she first began speaking publicly about gender-based violence (GBV).

“Those of you who don't know, I myself am a survivor of GBV. Back in 1994, I was abducted by two men, sexually assaulted and left for dead,” she said.

Botha went on to speak publicly about her experience, hoping that it would help raise awareness and contribute to tackling violence against women.

Her attackers, Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger, were convicted in 1995 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Both were eventually released on parole in 2023 after serving about 28 years in prison.

Their parole was cancelled by Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald in February 2025. The Correctional Services Department confirmed that both men were reincarcerated and would remain in custody.

For Botha, the passage of more than 30 years has not brought the change she hoped her story could help inspire.

“I went on to talk about what had happened to me in the hope that bringing awareness to the situation would help the crisis. But here we are, over 30 years later, and the GBV crisis in our country is no better. In fact, it's worse,” she said.

Her message comes as South Africa grapples with the deaths of nine women whose bodies have been discovered across Ekurhuleni since July.

The first five bodies were found in the Kempton Park area, while the others were discovered at Clayville, Olifantsfontein, Rhodesfield, KwaThema and Dawn Park.

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said on Sunday that eight of the nine victims had been identified, although the families of only seven had been informed at that stage.

Among those publicly identified are Itumeleng Kekana, Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, Dineo Evelyn Motapane and Gracious Nkomo.

Police have launched a multidisciplinary investigation into the deaths and are examining whether there are links between the cases.

The discovery of the ninth body intensified fears of a possible serial killer, with similarities between some of the cases prompting police to issue warnings to residents.

However, authorities have not confirmed that a single perpetrator or group is responsible for all nine deaths and have since announced that two women and a man have been arrested for the Dawn Park murder.

The killings have nevertheless sparked renewed fear among women and anger from communities demanding answers.

For Botha, the discovery of the bodies was a painful reminder that the violence she survived more than three decades ago remains a reality for women across the country.

“This message comes at a time of crisis in our country. Bodies of nine women have been found in Kempton Park. Lives were unfairly taken from them in a brutal way. I was fortunate enough to survive what happened to me. But these women, just like many others in our country, were not so lucky,” she said.

Botha also questioned the level of urgency surrounding GBV, comparing it with the extraordinary measures taken by government during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She referred to the less than 5% Covid-19 fatality figure recorded in SA during the early stages of the pandemic.

Botha also referred to women facing a more than 33% risk from GBV.

The Human Sciences Research Council’s national GBV study found that more than one in three South African women aged 18 and older had experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.

Botha's broader point was about the sense of urgency surrounding the country's GBV crisis and the burden placed on women to protect themselves.

“Where's the sense of urgency? Where's the action? We are tired. We are tired of always having to look over our shoulders everywhere we go. We're tired of having to organise to go out in groups,” she said.

Her comments come as women in Ekurhuleni and beyond have been urged to take precautions, including avoiding walking or running alone in areas where bodies have been found. Police have also appealed to the public for information that could assist investigators.

But Botha said such measures could not become the permanent solution to violence against women.

“These sorts of restrictions are not keeping the women of South Africa safe. This is a temporary fix to an ongoing societal problem, and there needs to be change,” she said.

For a woman who was once left for dead but survived to tell her story, the latest killings have brought a painful question back to the surface: how many more women have to die before meaningful change is made?

Botha's message was one of solidarity with women who continue to live with the fear of violence.

“I stand with all of you, women of South Africa, as we urge and insist that our leaders make impactful, long-lasting and real change,” she said.