The DA’s R500,000 reward for information linked to the deaths of women in Ekurhuleni will remain separate from the South African Police Service’s R400,000 reward.
According to TimesLIVE, SAPS deputy national commissioner Lt-Gen Tebello Mosikili said police rewards are governed by an official process and the two offers cannot simply be combined.
SAPS offers R400,000
The official SAPS reward was announced by Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia as authorities intensified their response to the deaths.
SAnews reported that SAPS is offering R400,000 for information that leads to the arrest of a perpetrator or perpetrators.
Police have also established a high-level multidisciplinary investigation team and increased visibility in affected parts of Ekurhuleni.
DA launches separate R500,000 offer
The Democratic Alliance announced its own R500,000 reward on 17 September.
In its official statement, the party said the money would be offered for information that leads to a criminal prosecution. The DA described it as an additional reward, separate from the police offer.
TimesLIVE reported that Mosikili said SAPS follows formal procedures for informer rewards, meaning the DA’s offer cannot be added to the police amount.
Nine bodies found
By 17 September, police had confirmed the discovery of a ninth woman’s body in Dawn Park, Ekurhuleni. SAPS listed the case among its latest Gauteng investigations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office also referred to nine women’s bodies having been found in Ekurhuleni while expressing condolences to affected families.
Authorities have repeatedly cautioned against assuming all the deaths are connected. Parliament’s Police Committee noted earlier in the investigation that SAPS had not established links between all the cases.
Police continue to appeal to the public for information that could help investigators identify and arrest those responsible.