The Police Ministry is offering a R400,000 reward for information that could lead to arrests following the discovery of an eighth woman’s body in Ekurhuleni.
Police top brass briefed the media on Tuesday night about the series of discoveries, which have sparked widespread public outrage and growing concern over the safety of women in the area.
The latest victim is a 35-year-old woman whose body was found in Kwa-Thema, Springs, on Tuesday. She has not yet been identified.
The latest case comes as investigators examine the deaths of eight women whose bodies have been discovered in Ekurhuleni and surrounding areas since July.
What we know about the eight cases
15 July – Kempton Park:
The first body was discovered near the R21 in Kempton Park. Police said the woman had been strangled with cable ties. A suspect was arrested two days later and remains in custody.
24 August – Kempton Park:
The body of a 32-year-old woman was found near the R21. She was partially naked when discovered.
10 September – Kempton Park:
A third woman’s body was discovered. She had not been identified and was found naked and in an advanced state of decomposition.
7 September – Clayville:
A woman’s body was found floating in a stream in Clayville, near Thembisa Mall, on 7 September. Police later confirmed that this case would be included in the broader investigation, bringing the number under investigation to seven before Tuesday’s latest discovery. The woman had not been identified.
12 September – Kempton Park:
The body of 38-year-old Elizabeth ‘Tsontso’ Moselakgomo was discovered after she went missing following an afternoon run. Her family later positively identified her body at the Germiston Mortuary.
14 September – Olifantsfontein:
The body of a fifth woman linked to the wider Kempton Park investigation was found in Olifantsfontein. Police said the body had similarities to some of the earlier cases, including partial nudity and visible bruising.
15 September – Kwa-Thema:
A sixth body was discovered in Kwa-Thema, Springs, about 45 kilometres from Kempton Park. Initial reports said the circumstances surrounding the death were still unclear.
15 September – Kwa-Thema:
Later on Tuesday, police confirmed the discovery of an eighth woman’s body, also in Kwa-Thema. The victim is believed to be 35 years old and has not yet been identified.
Police investigating possible links
The discoveries have prompted SAPS to deploy specialised investigators to establish whether there are links between the cases.
Police have acknowledged similarities in some of the circumstances surrounding the deaths, including the condition in which some of the bodies were found and their locations. However, authorities have cautioned against concluding that the women were killed by the same person or group.
Acting Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Major General Fred Kekana confirmed the inclusion of the Clayville case in the wider investigation, saying authorities did not want to leave any potentially related case out of the investigation.
The investigation has intensified following growing public concern and calls for urgent action to protect women in affected communities.
The Police Ministry’s R400,000 reward is aimed at encouraging members of the public to provide information that could assist investigators in making arrests.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia also met with a high-level government delegation after returning to South Africa from China to discuss the developments and the police response.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed law enforcement agencies to prioritise the investigations and urged members of the public to provide information that could help bring those responsible to justice.
For now, investigators face the task of identifying the unidentified victims, determining how each woman died and establishing whether the cases are connected.