South African police investigate killings of nine women in Ekurhuleni as vigils demand action

Discoveries in Ekurhuleni

Police in South Africa have discovered the bodies of nine women in the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg, over the past two months. The first five victims were found in the Kempton Park area, while subsequent bodies were discovered at sites between 25 and 35 kilometres away. On 17 September 2026, officers found a ninth victim, an unidentified woman around 30 years old, who was stabbed and dumped in Dawn Park, roughly 30 kilometres south of Kempton Park. Police stated that she may have been killed elsewhere before being moved to the park. Most of the victims were in their 20s and 30s, and several were found partially clothed with signs of severe physical and sexual assault. Four victims have been identified by family members: 38-year-old Elizabeth Moselakgomo, 28-year-old Gracious Nkomo, 38-year-old Dineo Motapane, and 32-year-old shopkeeper Itumeleng Kekana.

Police response and investigation

Investigators are examining whether the killings represent the work of a single serial killer, a group of attackers, or a copycat perpetrator. The South African Police Service deployed street checkpoints, imposed local movement restrictions, and established a dedicated task team in Kempton Park following the discoveries. Only one arrest has been made in connection with the cases, occurring two days after the first body was discovered on 15 July 2026, leaving eight cases unsolved. Authorities offered a 400,000 rand reward (about $25,000) for information leading to arrests, while the opposition Democratic Alliance added a separate $31,000 reward. Deputy National Police Commissioner Tebello Mosikili warned that the rate of violence required decisive action across the district.

We cannot continue collecting bodies.

Public anger and memorial runs

The killings have generated public gatherings, memorial runs, and vigils in Johannesburg, Centurion, and Cape Town on 18 and 19 September 2026. In Johannesburg, runners dressed in black to commemorate Elizabeth Moselakgomo, an avid runner who disappeared during an afternoon run on 9 September before searchers found her body three days later behind a hotel. Participants carried banners calling for an end to femicide while rejecting official police advisories that urged women to avoid walking or running alone in isolated areas. Advocacy groups, including the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation and Women for Change, argued that safety warnings directed at victims shift accountability away from perpetrators and systemic policing failures.

We are not safe running, we are not safe at a post office, we are not safe on a date, we are not safe in our own homes, we are not safe in an Uber.

Systemic crisis and low solve rates

The Ekurhuleni killings follow the South African government's declaration of gender-based violence as a national disaster in 2025. Data from UN Women indicates that the femicide rate in South Africa is five times higher than the global average, with one in three women in the country experiencing physical or sexual violence during their lifetime. Police operations face persistent structural constraints, with approximately one in ten murder cases solved nationwide due to resource shortages and internal corruption. President Cyril Ramaphosa stated on 17 September 2026 that South Africa cannot allow itself to grow accustomed to such violence, urging men to take responsibility and directing police to leave no stone unturned in their investigations.