Police in South Africa recovered the body of a tenth woman in Ekurhuleni on September 26, 2026, bringing the total number of female murder victims discovered in the municipality east of Johannesburg over two months to eleven by the following day, as President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation to announce emergency security measures.
Four suspects are currently in custody in connection with three separate homicides within the area. The discovery of the bodies across the municipality of Ekurhuleni has ignited fear and national outrage. The victims, predominantly between 20 and 30 years old, were frequently found partially clothed in open spaces near main roads, with some showing signs of sexual violence. The grim sequence intensified when a private security vehicle patrolling an open grassland area spotted another body on Sunday, September 27, 2026, pushing the confirmed death toll in the area to eleven over a ten-week span.
Police Investigate Ekurhuleni Killings
Investigators are working to establish whether the killings share a single perpetrator or stem from separate criminal acts. A multidisciplinary police team is analyzing forensic results, timelines, and the locations where the bodies were dumped, though authorities maintain that no conclusive evidence links the cases together as the work of a serial killer. Among them, two women were arrested and charged regarding the ninth victim, who had her throat slit and had been stabbed. Police provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni noted that investigators view that specific case as isolated, while a fourth suspect was apprehended nearly 400 kilometers away in connection with another murder.
At this stage, we can only confirm the discovery of the body. Crime scene management is underway and all responders are currently at the scene. Brenda
The total toll rose further when a 23-year-old woman was shot dead in broad daylight in the Tembisa township on Monday, September 28, 2026. Law enforcement officials noted that investigators suspect her former partner in that specific shooting, who was subsequently found dead inside his car, and police have kept this case separate from the Ekurhuleni series.
Ramaphosa Addresses National Emergency
The mounting casualties prompted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to deliver a national address, where he acknowledged the deep grief gripping the country. Gender-based violence was formally declared a national disaster in late 2025, but civil society organizations and victim advocates have continued to protest the lack of tangible safety improvements on the ground. In his address, the president admitted shortcomings in state efforts to protect women.
The violence inflicted on women in South Africa is a major source of pain and national shame. What weighs on me the most is that seven years ago, I already addressed the nation to speak about this very same crisis. According
Ramaphosa directed every municipality to immediately execute safety audits of public spaces to identify high-risk zones, cataloging broken streetlights, overgrown vegetation, abandoned buildings, and insecure parks. Furthermore, the administration ordered a package of measures to curtail alcohol-related violence, instructed prosecutors and police to reopen unresolved cases involving women and children, and demanded a funded plan within 60 days to address forensic backlogs.
Public Demands Action on Violence
During the first 16 days of September alone, the public anti-violence helpline logged 6,782 distress calls, averaging 424 calls per day—a 21 percent increase compared to the same period in August. Public anxiety has driven demands for accountability, including petitions calling for a permanent specialized investigative unit dedicated to serial rapes and murders. These protests coincide with statistics recorded by public emergency networks.
Among the victims, the disappearance of jogger Elizabeth Moselakgomo after she was last seen alive on September 9 became a central symbol of the ongoing crisis in the Kempton Park region. With four individuals currently detained across multiple separate case files, police have scheduled further court appearances, including a hearing on October 28, 2026, for a suspect arrested in connection with a July homicide.