Body Count Hits 10 in East Rand Women Killings!

South African police confirmed on Saturday the discovery of another woman’s body in Tembisa, east of Johannesburg, bringing to 10 the number of women found dead across Ekurhuleni municipality over the past two months.

The partly clothed body was located at Mooifontein Cemetery in the Vusimusi section of Tembisa South on Saturday morning.

Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said officers could only confirm the find at this stage, with crime-scene management and other role players still on site. Further details, including the woman’s identity, age and cause of death, would be released once preliminary investigations were complete. Local reports indicated the body was semi-naked.

The latest discovery intensifies public anxiety and scrutiny of a series of killings that has gripped communities from Kempton Park to Dawn Park and beyond. Most of the previous victims were women in their 20s and 30s.

Several were found naked or partially clothed, some showing signs of sexual assault or other trauma. Police have repeatedly stressed that they have not established definitive links between all the cases and have not confirmed the involvement of a single serial killer, though similarities in victim profiles, locations and circumstances have prompted a coordinated multidisciplinary investigation.

The first body was discovered on 15 July near the R21 freeway in Kempton Park. The 37-year-old woman, later identified as Busisiwe Mahlangu, was found naked and bound with cable ties. A suspect was arrested two days later and remains in custody in connection with that case. Subsequent discoveries followed in August and September across Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, Clayville (near the Mall of Tembisa), KwaThema and Dawn Park.

Among the identified victims are Gracious Nkomo, 28, found partially clothed along the R21 on 10 September; Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, 38, a mother who disappeared during a routine afternoon run on 9 September and whose body was recovered three days later behind a hotel in Rhodesfield; Dineo Evelyn Motapane, 38, found in KwaThema; and Jabulile Ntimba, whose body was discovered in Dawn Park on 17 September. Three people — including two women aged 31 and 38 — were arrested in connection with Ntimba’s death and charged; police have indicated that case may stem from a relationship-related dispute. One body recovered from a river in Clayville on 7 September remains publicly unidentified, while the name of another victim found in Olifantsfontein has been withheld pending formal family notification.

The string of deaths has triggered vigils, protests and solidarity runs across the country, from Gauteng to Cape Town, as residents and women’s rights groups demand stronger action.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has publicly vowed that “no stone will be left unturned” and directed authorities to prioritise the investigations. An inter-ministerial committee on gender-based violence and femicide has approved an emergency strategy focused on prevention, law enforcement, victim support and justice.

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Rewards totalling hundreds of thousands of rand have been offered for information leading to arrests.

South Africa continues to grapple with some of the world’s highest rates of violent crime and gender-based violence. Official figures previously released by the South African Human Rights Commission recorded hundreds of women killed in a single quarter earlier this year, alongside thousands of reported rape cases. Gender-based violence was declared a national disaster years ago, yet activists say implementation of protective measures has lagged. Police and government officials have urged families to report missing relatives promptly — without waiting the traditional 24 hours — particularly those last known to be in the Ekurhuleni area.

As forensic teams process the latest Tembisa scene, investigators continue comparing timelines, locations, victimology and forensic evidence across the cases. Communities remain on edge, with many women altering daily routines out of fear. Authorities have called for calm while emphasising that every lead will be pursued. Further updates are expected as post-mortem examinations and identification processes advance.