South Africa Probes Killings of Ten Women

South African police found a tenth woman dead in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, over a two-month period, adding to concern about a series of killings and violence against women. The latest victim’s semi-naked body was discovered near a cemetery in the Tembisa township. Police said investigators and other crime-scene personnel were at the scene. Provincial police chief Tommy Mthombeni said the woman appeared to have been stoned to death, but a post-mortem examination is needed to establish the cause. He said experienced investigators had been assigned and pledged to find those responsible. The nine other victims were mostly in their twenties and thirties. Some were found undressed and showing signs of sexual assault. The first victim, a 37-year-old woman, was found naked and bound with cable ties on July 15; a suspect was arrested two days later. Two women, aged 31 and 38, were arrested in connection with the ninth victim and charged on Monday. Police said that killing may have been related to a relationship matter, but the article does not establish whether the deaths are connected. Police have offered a reward of 400,000 rand, or about $25,000, for information leading to the arrest of the killer or killers. The Democratic Alliance has offered an additional $31,000. The report places the killings amid South Africa’s widespread gender-based violence, despite government pledges and the designation of the issue as a national disaster. The national GBV Command Centre received 6,782 distress calls from September 1 to 16, averaging 424 per day—a 21 percent increase over the same period in August. South Africa, with a population of 62 million, averages more than 60 murders a day.

Police in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, have found the body of another woman, bringing to 10 the number of women discovered dead in the area in recent months. The woman was found at a cemetery in Tembisa on Saturday morning. Her friend, who had been with her at a bar the previous evening, identified her by her clothes in a photograph shown by police. Officials have not publicly named the victim, and investigators are collecting evidence. Gauteng Police Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said it was too early to determine whether the latest death was connected to the others. However, he said similarities in the victims and the apparent modus operandi meant police could not rule out the possibility of a serial killer. Authorities are also considering a death in Soweto that may share features with the Ekurhuleni cases. The killings have intensified public concern about violence against women in South Africa, a country with one of the world’s highest rates of gender-based violence. Most of the bodies in the recent series were found in Kempton Park, near Tembisa; many victims were young women, and almost all had experienced extreme violence before their deaths. The deaths have increased pressure on the national government, which declared gender-based violence a national disaster less than a year ago. South Africa also has a high overall homicide rate: 5,427 people were murdered between April and June this year. Police statistics do not separate victims by gender, but the South African Human Rights Commission reported that 569 women were killed and 1,052 survived attempted murder during the same period. Three men appeared in court earlier in the week accused of involvement in one of the nine earlier murders, while police continue to search for others who may have been involved.

South African police are investigating a series of killings near Johannesburg after another woman’s body was discovered Saturday, bringing the number of victims under investigation to 10. The first three bodies were found in July and August within roughly 4.3 miles of one another in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg. The discovery of six more bodies there over a 10-day period earlier this month prompted fears that a serial killer or multiple killers might be responsible. Two women were arrested and charged with murder in connection with the ninth victim, whose body was found on September 17. Police said she had been stabbed and her throat cut, but investigators have not linked the accused women to the other killings. Provincial police commissioner Lt. Gen. Tommy Mthombeni said investigators believed the ninth killing was an isolated case, while acknowledging that links between some of the other cases could not be ruled out. Police have identified similarities in some of the killings but said there is no conclusive evidence that the same person or people were responsible. The nine victims found before Saturday were women in their 20s or 30s; several were naked or partially clothed and left in open areas near main roads. Police warned women to take precautions in the area and assigned officers from the Investigative Psychology Unit, which handles complex and serial violent crimes, to the investigation. Authorities provided few details about the tenth body and had not identified the victim. The investigation has intensified public concern about women’s safety in South Africa, where violent crime and violence against women are widespread. A recent study found that three women were killed each day by an intimate partner in 2020–2021. The country also has one of the world’s highest murder rates, averaging more than 60 killings a day.

After nine women were found murdered in Johannesburg’s East Rand over roughly two months, women runners across South Africa are changing how they exercise and taking steps they hope will keep them safe. Nancy Masha began carrying a knife and pepper spray after the September 9 killing of fellow runner Elizabeth Moselakgomo, whose body was found three days after she left home for a run. The deaths have prompted police to investigate whether a serial killer or killers may be responsible, although authorities have not said the cases are linked. Three people have been arrested in connection with two of the killings. The cases have sparked vigils, protests and solidarity runs, while renewing attention on gender-based violence, a persistent problem that South Africa declared a national disaster in 2025. The government’s Gender-Based Violence Command Centre recorded 6,782 distress calls between September 1 and 16, 21 per cent more than in the same period in August. Women interviewed by AFP described avoiding secluded routes, reducing the frequency of walks, sharing their live locations and clothing details with loved ones, or restricting their runs to gated areas. Some carry pepper spray or knives, while others worry that weapons could be used against them or that they lack the training to use them safely. The fear extends beyond Johannesburg: a Cape Town runner said the killings had made her more suspicious of strangers and led her to start carrying pepper spray. The article emphasizes the emotional and practical toll of the killings on women’s everyday lives and freedom to exercise. Sunrise Athletics Club captain Nkululeko Molosi said runners should not have to choose between their passion and personal safety. President Cyril Ramaphosa called the suffering of women a “national shame” and said they have the right to walk the streets at any hour without fear. Despite arrests and public statements, anxiety among runners remains high.

South African police found a tenth woman dead in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, on September 26, adding to a series of killings discovered in the municipality over the previous two months. The victim’s semi-naked body was found near a cemetery in Tembisa. Police spokeswoman Brenda Muridili said investigators and other relevant personnel were at the scene. Provincial police chief Tommy Mthombeni said the woman appeared to have been stoned to death and that a post-mortem examination would be conducted. He said experienced investigators were assigned to the case and pledged to find those responsible. The nine other victims were mostly in their twenties and thirties. Some were found unclothed and showed signs of sexual assault. The first victim, a 37-year-old woman, was found nude and bound with cable ties on July 15; a suspect was arrested two days later. Two women, aged 31 and 38, were arrested in connection with the ninth victim and charged on September 21. Police said that killing may have arisen from a relationship-related matter. Authorities are still investigating whether the deaths are connected. Police have offered a 400,000-rand reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer or killers. The Democratic Alliance has added a reward of US$31,000. The article situates the killings within South Africa’s wider crisis of gender-based violence, which has persisted despite government pledges and the declaration of the problem as a national disaster. The national GBV Command Centre received 6,782 distress calls from September 1 to 16, averaging 424 a day—a 21 per cent increase over the same period in August. South Africa, with a population of 62 million, also has one of the world’s highest murder rates, averaging more than 60 killings daily.