NUPSAW condemns the senseless killing of two girls in Mamelodi
National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) is saddened and deeply disturbed by the recent killing of two Mamelodi girls aged 21 and 22. The two victims who were cousins, were found shot dead on the street in the early hours of Sunday morning. Although the police have apprehended a suspect, the motive for the murder is still unknown at the moment.
NUPSAW deems such unlawful act as not only cruel but barbaric because no human being deserves to die in that manner, moreover to be found on the streets like an animal. There is no justification whatsoever for anyone to take a human life. These young victims are someone’s daughters and had their whole lives ahead of them.
Femicides, defined as the gender-based killing of women, are a pressing public health issue worldwide, with South Africa experiencing some of the highest rates globally. This is evident that our country is not just in a crisis, but in denial. This country is being robbed of mothers and daughters daily at the hands of those that are supposed to protect them. According to Statistics South Africa, a woman is murdered every three hours in the country. Police crime statistics for 2025 show that over 1,200 women were killed between April and June this year alone, averaging 13 murders a day.
We call on the government to treat GBV as the national emergency it is and avail adequate resources to curb this pandemic. We cannot continue adding women’s names to the long list of those brutally murdered by men and count them in statistics and Hashtags. This is not the democracy we so longed for!
In the same breath, we urge the communities to be extra vigilant and report such acts of violence even when they are not directed to them. Let us not turn a blind eye while our sisters perish. Furthermore, we appeal to parents to be actively involved in their children’s lives and be aware of anything and everything that they go through. Let us come together as a nation and protect our women and children.
~ENDS~
For more information and media enquiries contact:
NUPSAW Media Liaison officer Neo Lebethe on 069 742 4004