EDITORIAL | Too many have died: hunt down the savages - TimesLIVE

In a normal society, this front-page commentary and special design should not be necessary.

It is necessary, though, because we want the pain felt by the families of the nine women whose bodies were mercilessly butchered and dumped in the streets of Ekurhuleni to be deeply etched in our collective conscience, forcing us, in our diversity, to introspect daily and ask what each could contribute to bring this inhumanity to an end.

It is also necessary because it’s not normal to find nine dead bodies along meandering roads that should serve as safe spaces for anyone who wishes to jog.

Our nation is in deep mourning. The lives of Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, Gracious Nkomo and Dineo Evelyn Motapane and at least six others were taken away by what can only be described as savages.

We can, as journalists, wax lyrical about the promised drones, panic buttons, helicopters and troopers in addition to normal police visibility that let these women down.

We can use poetry to describe the trauma visited upon millions of other women across the country, who choose rather to lock themselves in than enjoy the freedom that April 27 1994 promised. Yet we are here. Funerals are getting under way. Other bodies await identification.

What we do not need are slogans or promises. What we need is police visibility, and a government to ensure speedy investigations. We need resources to be unleashed, and perpetrators hunted down, day and night.

Each day without an arrest is a day of self-imprisonment for women in their homes, traumatised by the real possibility they could become a statistic in this unfolding cruelty.

In addition, we need all men to be safe spaces for all women and children. We also need society to understand that every piece of information could help find the monster(s).

We want to hear fewer promises and positive outcomes of interventions. It is less about how many people downloaded the panic buttons than it is about how lives were saved because the panic buttons ensured help arrived on time.

We are, this incredibly sad weekend, with the runners of Ekurhuleni who yesterday resorted to praise songs — “Morena re hauhele (God, have mercy on us!)”.

Our hearts bleed. Our request is simple: don’t feed us promises, hunt down the savages and ensure swift justice.