A public petition calling for the immediate creation and permanent funding of a specialised serial crime task team has been launched in response to a string of deaths that has left communities across Ekurhuleni, including Kempton Park, on edge.
The petition, “Fund a Permanent Serial Crime Task Team Now!”, was reported by Xolile Mtembu and asks Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia to establish a dedicated unit capable of investigating serial rape and murder and intervening before more women become victims.
What the petition demands
Organisers argue current responses rely on temporary teams that are stood up only after crises grab public attention, then disbanded once the spotlight fades. The petition says that leaves communities exposed and calls for a permanent, professionally staffed rapid-response unit.
- Immediate establishment of a permanent task team focused on serial rape and serial murder.
- Permanent funding to sustain specialised investigators, analysts and rapid-deployment capacity.
- Emergency financing via Treasury, asking the Finance Minister to invoke Section 16 of the PFMA to make funds available now rather than waiting for the budget cycle.
“Gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) is a national emergency, and women are the biggest targets of serial predators, yet the police response is always underfunded and too late,” the petition states, reported Xolile Mtembu.
Local context: why Kempton Park residents should take notice
Kempton Park forms part of the Ekurhuleni metropolitan area where police discovered the bodies of nine women since July. While police have not established that those deaths were the work of a single perpetrator and investigations remain ongoing, the petition argues the pattern highlights a systemic gap in how serial offences are detected and managed.
Residents here have repeatedly said they want faster, more co‑ordinated investigative responses when patterns of violent crime emerge. Petitioners call for investigators trained to identify links between cases, track suspects and intervene before offenders can claim additional victims.
How the petition frames the solution
The petition sets out a specific model: a standing unit with the skills, equipment and deployment mandate to act rapidly across municipal boundaries within Gauteng and nationally where patterns indicate a serial offender. It emphasises the need for sustained resources rather than episodic funding that accompanies short-term task teams.
| Issue raised | Demand |
|---|---|
| Underfunded police responses | Permanent funding for a specialised unit |
| Temporary task teams disbanded | Standing rapid-response capability |
| Delays in securing special funding | Invoke Section 16 of PFMA for emergency funds |
The petition explicitly asks Treasury to allow emergency funding to be released now rather than waiting for future budget adjustments, arguing that this would shorten the time between recognition of a serial pattern and a full investigative response.
What happens next
At the time of reporting, the petition had been launched publicly and its demands set before the Finance Minister and the Acting Police Minister, reported Xolile Mtembu. Police investigations into the individual deaths are ongoing and authorities have not publicly confirmed a single suspect or that all incidents are linked.
For Kempton Park residents, the proposal raises immediate questions about local safety planning and how municipal and provincial authorities will work with national structures should such a unit be established. Community groups and victim-support organisations have long pushed for improved forensic capacity and faster intelligence-sharing between police stations across metro borders.
Whether Treasury or the police will act on the petition’s call for a permanently funded specialised unit remains to be seen. Until then, residents and community forums in Kempton Park are likely to continue pressing for clearer short-term measures to boost patrols, victim support and investigative resource allocation.
