Nine women have been found dead across South Africa’s Ekurhuleni municipality over roughly two months, turning a series of separate investigations into a major police operation and raising growing fears that some of the deaths could be connected. The discoveries were made in different locations east of Johannesburg, with several cases sharing similarities involving the victims’ ages, where bodies were found and injuries observed.

Police have warned against calling the deaths the work of a serial killer before investigators have established a connection. Still, the number of victims and the similarities between several cases have pushed authorities to intensify the investigation, deploy specialist teams and issue public safety warnings. As the investigation expands, officials are now working to determine whether the cases involve one perpetrator, multiple suspects or separate offenders.

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Ninth body found as Ekurhuleni investigation expands

The investigation reached another critical point on September 17, when police discovered the body of an unidentified woman in Dawn Park, Boksburg.

The South African Police Service confirmed that the woman’s body was found that morning. Her discovery brought the number of women whose bodies had been recovered across Ekurhuleni during the preceding two months to nine.

A multidisciplinary team of experts had already been mobilized to work across the cases and pursue information that could help investigators identify those responsible.

The latest discovery followed eight other deaths recorded across different parts of Ekurhuleni since July. The first five bodies were discovered in or around Kempton Park, while later discoveries were made approximately 25 to 35 kilometres away.

Several bodies were found in open areas close to major roads. Police have also indicated that some of the women may have been killed somewhere other than the locations where their bodies were ultimately discovered.

The pace of the discoveries became especially alarming during September. Five of the nine bodies were found within just four days.

Date / Period	Development	Official details
July 17	First body discovered	Woman found naked and restrained with cable ties
Since July	Nine women found dead	Bodies recovered across Ekurhuleni over roughly two months
September 10	Gracious Nkomo found	Body discovered along the R21 in Kempton Park
September 17	Ninth body discovered	Unidentified woman found in Dawn Park, Boksburg
September 20	Emergency strategy approved	Government moved to accelerate efforts to bring those responsible to justice

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Why police are investigating possible links between the deaths

The similarities between the cases are at the centre of the investigation.

Police said all nine victims were women in their 20s or 30s. Several were found naked or partially clothed, while some bodies showed similar bruising.

The first body in the series was discovered on July 17. The woman was found naked and restrained with cable ties. A man believed to have been her boyfriend was later taken into custody in connection with that case. Police have not publicly connected him to the other deaths.

Those similarities have understandably raised fears that one person could be responsible for multiple killings. However, authorities have been careful not to present that possibility as an established fact.

Gauteng provincial police commissioner Fred Kekana said investigators were examining every possibility.

“Investigators are considering all possibilities, including the possibility of multiple suspects or separate perpetrators,” Kekana said.

Investigators are comparing the evidence, timelines, locations, victim profiles and circumstances surrounding each case before reaching conclusions.

Kekana also said the similarities were serious enough to justify an intensified investigation and a public warning.

“While investigations are still underway and (the South African Police Service) has not, at this stage, confirmed that the deaths are linked to a serial killer, the similarities are sufficiently concerning for the police to issue a public warning and intensify investigations,” Kekana said.

The SAPS Investigative Psychology Unit, which deals with complex serial violent crimes, has also been brought into the investigation.

Its involvement does not establish that a serial offender is responsible. Instead, it reflects the complexity of the cases and the need to determine whether common patterns exist.

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Who are the women identified so far?

Only some of the nine victims had been publicly identified in the latest official updates.

One of them was 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo. Her disappearance attracted attention after she went out for her regular afternoon jog.

When Moselakgomo failed to return, her 8-year-old daughter alerted family members. Her body was later found and positively identified by her family at a mortuary.

SAPS Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane expressed condolences to the Moselakgomo family and said police would continue pursuing the investigation.

Another victim was 38-year-old Dineo Evelyn Motapane, whose body was discovered beside a road in KwaThema, Springs. Her family later positively identified her.

Authorities also publicly identified 28-year-old Gracious Nkomo, whose body was found along the R21 in Kempton Park on September 10. Police said Nkomo was found partially clothed.

Itumeleng Kekana, 32, has also been identified among the victims.

Several other women remained unidentified in the latest official updates. Police said the youngest victim publicly described was a 20-year-old woman.

The identities and circumstances surrounding the individual cases remain an important part of the broader investigation because authorities are still comparing the victims’ profiles and the circumstances of their deaths.

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Suspect detained in first case as police keep wider investigation open

Police have taken a suspect into custody in connection with the first woman whose body was discovered in July.

According to police reporting, the man was believed to have been the victim’s boyfriend. He was arrested and remained in custody, but authorities have not announced charges connecting him to the wider series of deaths.

Police have made clear that the detention of a suspect in one investigation does not establish that he was responsible for the other killings.

The possibility of separate perpetrators remains part of the investigation, alongside the possibility that multiple cases could eventually be linked.

That distinction is important because authorities have not confirmed a single offender despite the public concern surrounding the nine deaths.

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Police issue R400,000 reward and warn women in affected areas

South African police have appealed to the public for information that could help identify and arrest those responsible.

The SAPS announced a R400,000 reward for information that could lead to the apprehension of the perpetrator or perpetrators.

People with relevant information have been asked to contact the Crime Stop line on 08600 10111 or submit anonymous information through the MySAPS application.

Authorities have also urged members of the public not to circulate graphic photographs or unverified information about the deaths while investigators continue establishing the facts of each case.

Police have issued a public safety warning to women living in affected areas. Women have been urged to exercise extreme caution and avoid walking or exercising alone, particularly in isolated locations.

Additional police officers have also been deployed to areas affected by the killings.

The warnings have caused anxiety among residents, especially women and families with daughters. Women’s rights organizations have also argued that precautions taken by women cannot replace the responsibility of perpetrators, law enforcement and society to prevent violence.

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Deputy police commissioner says, “We cannot continue picking up bodies”

The growing scale of the investigation has prompted unusually strong comments from senior officials.

Deputy national police commissioner Tebello Mosikili addressed journalists following the discovery of the ninth body.

“We cannot continue picking up bodies,” Mosikili said.

The statement reflected the urgency surrounding the investigation as another woman was discovered in the same municipality only days after several other bodies had been recovered.

Officials have continued stressing that investigators must establish whether the cases are connected rather than assuming a single perpetrator without sufficient evidence.

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Ramaphosa says the victims had hopes, dreams and families

President Cyril Ramaphosa has also addressed the deaths while expressing condolences to the victims’ families.

Speaking at a memorial dialogue against gender-based violence and femicide in Kempton Park, Ramaphosa said:

“All the families, friends and communities, who have lost loved ones, know that the nation stands with them in their hour of sorrow.”

He added:

“They had hopes and dreams. They had plans for their lives. They had families and friends who expected them to return home. Each of them had a name, a story and people who loved them. Not all the women have been identified.”

Ramaphosa has called for the investigation to receive priority and pledged that authorities would pursue those responsible.

Government approves emergency strategy after ninth death

The government response continued to develop after the initial AP report.

On September 20, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide approved a Comprehensive Emergency Strategy aimed at speeding up efforts to bring those responsible for the Ekurhuleni killings to justice.

Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga said the committee had received a briefing and considered recommendations from the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure.

The strategy is aligned with South Africa’s National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. It covers prevention, law enforcement, protection and safety, justice, and support centered on victims and survivors.

The government has also renewed its commitment to tackling gender-based violence and femicide following the deaths.

Chikunga said:

“Enough is enough.”

She stressed that women should be able to walk, run and occupy public spaces without fear.

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Nine deaths renew focus on South Africa’s femicide crisis

The Ekurhuleni investigation is unfolding against the backdrop of South Africa’s longstanding problem with violence against women.

The deaths have renewed public concern about femicide and gender-based violence while intensifying demands for stronger action from law enforcement and government.

Figures cited in reporting on the current investigation show that South African police recorded 9,782 reported rapes between January and March 2026, alongside 12,590 sexual offences.

That represents roughly 108 reported rapes each day. Reported crime figures, however, do not represent the full extent of sexual violence because many incidents are never reported to police.

South Africa has also continued to face high levels of homicide overall. Crime statistics cited in the original AP report recorded 5,427 homicides between April and July 2026, an average of about 45 per day.

UN Women has previously identified South Africa as having a female homicide rate substantially above the global average. Research has also documented the prevalence of physical and sexual violence against women in the country.

The current investigation has therefore become part of a much broader national conversation about women’s safety and South Africa’s response to gender-based violence.

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Police have not confirmed that a serial killer is responsible

Despite widespread fears surrounding the nine deaths, there is currently no official confirmation that a serial killer is responsible for them.

That distinction remains central to the investigation.

Police are examining whether the deaths share a perpetrator, whether multiple suspects could be involved or whether some of the cases are unrelated.

The geographic proximity of several discoveries, the age range of the victims and similarities in the circumstances surrounding some bodies have prompted authorities to treat the situation as a serious and urgent investigation.

But investigators are still comparing forensic evidence, timelines, locations, victim profiles and other circumstances before reaching a conclusion.

For now, the confirmed picture is that nine women have been found dead in Ekurhuleni over roughly two months. Several cases contain similarities, at least one suspect has been detained in connection with one of the deaths, and police have established a specialist multidisciplinary investigation to determine whether the cases are connected.

As the investigation continues, authorities are asking anyone with relevant information to come forward while additional officers remain deployed in affected communities.

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Conclusion

The discovery of nine women’s bodies has placed Ekurhuleni at the centre of a major investigation and renewed attention on South Africa’s wider gender-based violence and femicide crisis. Police have identified similarities between several cases, but they have not confirmed that the deaths were committed by a serial killer.

With specialist investigators involved, a R400,000 reward offered for information and an emergency government strategy now approved, authorities are continuing to examine the evidence and determine whether the cases are connected. Until that work is complete, the identities of those responsible and the full relationship between the deaths remain unresolved.

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Source and Research Disclaimer

This article has been prepared from a thorough review of the sources provided for the original report, including information released by the South African Police Service, South African Government/SAnews, Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera. It reflects the information available through September 20, 2026 and preserves the distinction between confirmed facts, investigative possibilities, allegations and matters that remain unresolved. The article should not be understood as independent verification beyond what those provided sources support. Allegations concerning suspects or individual cases should not be treated as proof of guilt unless established through the legal process.

Sources

• South African Police Service — Ninth body recovered in Dawn Park, Ekurhuleni District
• South African Police Service — Acting National Commissioner vows to find those responsible for women’s deaths
• South African Government / SAnews — Government intensifies work to bring justice for murdered Ekurhuleni women
• South African Government / SAnews — President Ramaphosa’s message on the nine women
• South African Government / SAnews — Third Ekurhuleni murder victim identified
• Associated Press — Why the discovery of 9 women’s bodies has raised fears of a serial killer in South Africa
• Reuters — South African police find ninth woman’s body near Johannesburg
• Al Jazeera — Fear and anger in South Africa as bodies of nine women are found

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• cottonbro studio @Pexels