Nine women's bodies found in Ekurhuleni, South Africa, in two months

Women gathered at the scene of the incident on Lama Street in Down Park, Boxburg, where the body of a woman was discovered on Thursday—the ninth victim in Ekurhuleni in nine weeks. Local women, dressed in casual wear, dropped their errands and rushed from their homes after receiving word about the discovery of a partially undressed woman with a severed jugular vein.

In the open space of Lama Street, in the Villa Lisa area, some gathered around the body wept while looking at the brutally murdered woman. She was wearing only a blue t-shirt and pink underwear.

This horrific incident increases the number of deceased women in Ekurhuleni to nine over the past nine weeks. A Gauteng police representative, Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuluvhi, stated that the identity of the woman, presumed to be around 30 years old, has not yet been established.

Nevhuluvhi stated that 'a multidisciplinary team of experts has already been mobilized to work on these cases and ensure that those responsible for these crimes are brought to court.'

The Acting Commissioner of Police for Gauteng, Major General Fred Kekana, provided preliminary information that the woman may have been killed elsewhere and her body was simply dumped in Down Park.

When the IOL team arrived, the police were already present, and many women were gathering around. Police cars and unmarked vehicles were lined up; next to the body was a forensic pathology van with its rear doors open. Men in dark overalls were carrying out a white sheet and laying it down next to the body, while yellow police tape was secured between weeds and collected in muddy puddles left by the rain.

Behind the tape, the women who had rushed out of their homes watched the developments, some of them still in slippers, robes, and blankets.

Deputy National Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, who was present at the scene, assured that the teams working on the murders are capable of solving them. She stated: 'There have been incidents before that we managed to solve and resolve.' Mosikili added: 'I am very confident, and I say this putting my head on the line, that our teams are very capable of doing this.'

Mosikili emphasized that the police are tracking all leads, and for now, these leads will likely show whether the murders are connected. She noted: 'We cannot pass on a case of this magnitude to just the province; at least there is a national headquarters here.'

The woman found on Lama Street was the third person to die in Ekurhuleni in just four days. Among the three women whose identities were established in Ekurhuleni murder cases since July were: one found in Olifantsfontein on Monday, partially undressed and with bruises; another whose body was found near the road in Kwathembe Springs on Tuesday, and whose strangulation was confirmed by pathologists; and a third, Dineo Evelyn Motapane, 38 years old, whom her family identified at the Springs morgue on Wednesday.

Over the weekend, Kekana warned women and girls to exercise extra caution when walking, running, or exercising, clarifying that this warning was not intended to stop women from leading their lives.

The first of the nine women, aged 37, was found naked with hands tied by cable ties in a field in Camptown Park on July 15, and the suspect was arrested two days later. Itumeleng Kekana went missing in Camptown Park on July 17. Her family searched for her in hospitals, police stations, and morgues for over two weeks until a man on his way to work found her body on Great North Road in Pomona on August 3. She left her parents and 14-year-old daughter.

The 32-year-old woman was found partially clothed near the R21 highway on August 24. On September 7, the body of a woman, slightly over 20 years old, was found in a river in Clayville, near the Mall of Thembisa, in her underwear. Three days later, a naked and severely decomposed body of a woman was found near the R21 highway in Camptown Park.

Elizabeth 'Zontso' Moselakgomo, 38, a mother who went for her usual run last Wednesday, was found dead behind a hotel in Rhodesfield last Saturday. Only three of the nine women—Itumeleng Kekana, Moselakgomo, and Motapane—have been publicly identified.

Acting Minister of Police Firoz Kachalia stated on Tuesday that it was too early to speak of a pattern in the deaths and announced a police quarantine in Camptown Park and surrounding areas. Acting National Commissioner of Police Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane reported that the police are tracking a person of interest. The police offered a reward of 400,000 rand for information leading to arrests, and DA offered 500,000 rand.

The Gauteng province police have discovered a sixth body in KwaTembe, Springs, and the body found on September 7 near Tambisa Mall in Clayville was connected to the Kempston Park murders. Acting Minister of Police Firoz Kachalia and Acting National Commissioner of Police Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane confirmed on Tuesday evening that authorities have found at least eight bodies linked to these murders in the East Rand.

The discovery of female bodies, typically aged from late twenties to thirties, highlights the severe situation women face in South Africa regarding gender-based violence and femicide. Kachalia noted that the death of eight young women under such circumstances serves as a reminder that they live in a society where half the population, at least women, are unsafe.

He added that we are forced to consider the consequences of living in a society where such a level of violence is directed against women—high murder rates, levels of rape, and domestic violence. Kachalia emphasized that the government considers this issue a priority, and the President has declared it a national crisis.

Details of the body discoveries

The eighth body was found on September 15, 2026, in the Olifantsfontein area. The seventh body was discovered last week, but only became public knowledge on Tuesday, September 15. A case has been opened at the Tambisa police station regarding this incident. Major Fred Kekana, Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng, told the media on Tuesday that the woman's identity is currently unknown, but the police are taking necessary procedures to identify the victim, who was found semi-naked in the river. Kekana also stated that the preliminary report on the body found in KwaTembe showed signs of strangulation.

Police reported that the body was found in the Kaalspruit River, which flows behind Tambisa Mall. The local community leader of Tambisa, Khayanga Setlatjile-Kalanga, told IOL journalist that they learned about this body more than a week ago. He described the shock of what is happening in South Africa, asking: 'What have we turned into as South Africans? Why are we killing each other?'

The sixth body was found by residents in KwaTembe, Springs, and it had already begun to decompose. GPS coordinates show that the local community hall and stadium are near the crime scene. The distance between the first discovery (Kempston Park industrial area) and the sixth (KwaTembe, Springs) is about 40–45 kilometers.

Previously, the fourth body was found in the Rodsfield area on September 12, 2026, during a search for missing runner Elizabeth Moselakgomo. It was confirmed that this woman was Moselakgomo, known to friends as 'Tsontho'. The third body was found in Rodsfield closer to Kempston Park on September 10, 2026, and it is also unidentified. The second body was found on August 24, 2026, on the R21 highway in Kempston Park. The first body was discovered on July 15, 2026, in an open field near the R21 highway, after which a suspect was arrested two days later.

Dimpane ordered the creation of a task force to investigate the Kempston Park murders, which will include detectives from specialized units, including the Homicide and Robbery Unit and the Forensic Psychology Unit. Major Muboso Humalo has been appointed as the head of these investigations. Police also urged women to avoid solitary walks or runs in secluded areas and to remain vigilant.