South Africa shaken as 12 women found dead in Ekurhuleni
South African police are investigating the deaths of 12 women whose bodies were discovered in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, since July 2026.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- A total of 12 bodies of women have been found in the Ekurhuleni area since July 2026.
- Most victims were discovered partially or fully clothed with severe bruising or signs of trauma.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the killings as a stain on the national conscience.
- Police have formed a task team and offered a 400,000 rand reward for key information.
South African police have confirmed the discovery of three more bodies of women in an area east of Johannesburg, bringing the grim total to 12 bodies found within just two months. The latest victims were recovered in the Ekurhuleni region between Saturday and Monday morning, sparking widespread alarm among local residents.
While authorities have made arrests in a few of the cases which appear unrelated to one another, investigators have stated they cannot rule out the possibility of a serial killer. These discoveries unfold against the backdrop of long-standing public anxiety regarding the exceptionally high levels of gender-based violence across South Africa.
The tragic series of events began on 15 July 2026, when 37-year-old Busisiwe Mahlangu was found dead in Kempton Park, bound with cable ties. Her partner was arrested two days later. Following this, the body of 32-year-old mother Itumeleng Kekana was discovered on a bridge on 3 August after she had gone missing the previous month.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The discoveries continued with Nomfesane Mjobo on 26 August, an unidentified woman in her 20s found floating in a river on 7 September, and Gracious Nkomo on 10 September near the nation's busiest airport. Public alarm escalated sharply following the discovery of Elizabeth Moselakgomo on 12 September, a 38-year-old who vanished while out for a routine morning run.
The violence persisted through mid-September with the recovery of Dineo Motapane, Jabulile Ntimba, and Ntombifuthi Nxumalo, who suffered severe head injuries in a Tembisa cemetery. Another unidentified woman was found in Springs, alongside a separate case where 23-year-old Boitumelo Gift Mashita was shot dead. Additionally, a young woman's body wrapped in a duvet was discovered in a dam in Soweto, roughly 39 miles away.
The escalation of violence against women in South Africa highlights an entrenched systemic crisis. Although police note that several individual cases stem from domestic disputes rather than a unified plot, the sheer concentration of these horrific murders in a single region places immense pressure on law enforcement to overhaul protective measures and investigative strategies.
"The killing of these women and others was a 'stain on our national conscience'."
Cyril Ramaphosa, South African President
President Cyril Ramaphosa publicly condemned the wave of killings. In response, police have established a dedicated task team to investigate the murders and announced a reward of 400,000 rand (approximately $24,000) for information leading to successful arrests.
Source: BBC World
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