In brief
Police in the Ekurhuleni region of South Africa confirmed the discovery of twelve women's bodies between July and September, a disturbing uptick in a country with one of the world’s highest homicide rates. Arrests have been made in three isolated cases, yet the police remain unconvinced that a single serial killer is responsible, and they are investigating possible links among the victims. The bodies, found in varied locations – from roadsides and a riverbank to a buried nest – mostly share brutal signs of violence, including binding ties and bruising. The murders have drawn national attention, including remarks from President Cyril Ramaphosa and a reward of 400,000 rand for information; however, the investigations are still crunched by limited evidence. The incident underscores the pervasive issue of gender‑based violence, as the South African Human Rights Commission reports a daily average of six women killed in 2023 alone.
The tragedy began with the discovery of Busisiwe Mahlangu’s naked body bound with cable ties in Kempton Park on 15 July. Police arrested her partner two days later, but investigators say he is unrelated to the other victims. Itumeleng Kekana, 32, vanished in July and was found in August partially clothed on a bridge, while Nomfesane Mjobo was recovered in late August, again partly nude and bruised – no arrests were made. Case 4 involved an unnamed 20‑something woman found floating in a river in Olifantsfontein in early September; her identity remains unknown.
In September, Gracious Nkomo was found near the airport, partially clothed and badly bruised. The next day, a second unidentified woman’s body was recovered in Soweto, wrapped in a duvet, again without a name. Dineo Motapane was discovered in Springs on 15 September; her battered, partly burned body was found just two days after she went missing, leaving behind a child. Jabulile Ntimba was found half‑naked on a Boksburg road, and early investigations linked her death to a possible love triangle – two women were charged while a suspect was released.
The tenth victim, Ntombifuthi Nxumalo, was found at a Tembisa cemetery with stab wounds and stones suggesting a stoning; a 36‑year‑old man was arrested shortly after. Boitumelo Gift Mashita, 23, was shot and robbed on a Monday in Tembisa – her estranged husband was found dead in his vehicle, though police have found no link to the other cases. Police have emphasized that most bodies were found in the same general area but remain unsure whether a single perpetrator is responsible.
The spate has drawn a national outcry: President Cyril Ramaphosa described the killings as a “stain on our national conscience”, and a task force has been set up. South Africa’s homicide rate remains high – 5,427 people were murdered in the first quarter of 2026, with 569 women killed between April and June, averaging six daily. The police are offering a 400,000‑rand reward for information leading to arrests, but as of now, no definitive explanation has resolved the chain of murders.
