"Most of them half-naked": Bodies of 9 women found in a town in South Africa. Is this a serial killing?

“Most of them half-naked”: Bodies of 9 women found in a South African city. Is this a serial killing?

In the South African city of Ekurhuleni, the bodies of nine women with signs of violence have been found within two months. Police are investigating whether these murders are linked. Most of the bodies were found half-naked and with signs of beatings on their bodies.

On July 15, the body of a 37-year-old woman was found near the R21 highway in Kempton Park, which belongs to the Ekurhuleni area near South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg.

Two days later, police arrested the deceased's boyfriend as a suspect. Authorities did not disclose further details. The man is currently in custody. Since then, it has been reported that the bodies of nine more women have been found in Ekurhuleni.

On August 3, the body of 32-year-old Itumeleng Kekana was found. She had gone missing in Kempton Park on July 17.

On August 24, the body of another 32-year-old woman was found. Authorities did not disclose her name. This body was also found near the R21 highway in Kempton Park.

On September 7, the body of a woman aged approximately 20–30 was pulled from a river in Clayville. She was wearing only underwear.

On September 10, another woman's body was found near the R21 road. This time, the body was completely unclothed. Because it was heavily decomposed, it has not yet been possible to determine even the woman's approximate age.

The sixth woman — the body of Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo — was found on the morning of September 12 behind a hotel building near the R21 highway. The 38-year-old woman had gone out for her usual run on September 9. When she did not return home, her eight-year-old daughter informed relatives about it.

At that time, police stated they did not rule out that a serial killer was behind these cases. The incidents are very similar: most of the bodies were found half-naked and with signs of beatings on their bodies. For this reason, authorities officially warned local residents, advising women not to walk alone in the Kempton Park area and to remain constantly vigilant.

On September 14, a passerby found another woman's body in Olifantsfontein.

On September 15, the body of 38-year-old Dineo Evelyn Motapane was found by the roadside in the KwaThema area, about 45 kilometers from Kempton Park. Her relatives last saw her on September 13. Before they could report the woman missing to the police, her body was found.

Finally, on September 17, police found another woman's body in the Dawn Park area.

To investigate the deaths of the women, the police have formed a special team consisting of experts from various fields. One of the main tasks of the team is to determine whether these murders are linked.

On Monday, September 21, police announced that three people — two women and one man — had been arrested in connection with the death of one of the women, Jabulile Ntimboy. Ntimboy's body was the last to be found, on Thursday, September 17.

According to the IOL publication, after questioning, the man was released, while the two women remained in custody. They could face charges of murder.

“We are not ruling out that these cases could be linked. However, in the case of Jabulile Ntimboy, according to preliminary information, the murder was caused by relationships that can be described as a love triangle,” said police spokesperson Tebello Mosikili.

At the same press conference, police also announced that a tenth body had been found. It was found on Sunday evening, September 20, in the Soweto area, southwest of Johannesburg. This location is on the opposite side of Kempton Park and the areas where the previous nine bodies were found.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa promised that authorities would use all resources to find those responsible for the murders in Ekurhuleni. So far, eight of the nine deceased women have been identified.

“We are afraid to leave the house. We are even afraid to go to the shop. In a country where women should feel safe, we no longer feel free,” local resident Bongeka Sebela told the BBC.

The Republic of South Africa is considered one of the countries with the highest rates of femicide — the killing of women because of their gender — in the world. According to UN data, in 2023, more than 4,000 women died in the country as a result of gender-based violence. This means about 12 women per 100,000 people, which is several times higher than the global average.

In November 2025, following mass protests, the South African government declared violence against women a national disaster.