A sixth woman’s body has been found in the East Rand, intensifying the police investigation into a series of disturbing deaths across and around Kempton Park since July.
The woman’s body was discovered on the side of a road in KwaThema, Springs, on Tuesday morning. Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed the discovery and said the area had been cordoned off as investigators worked at the scene.
“It is an active scene,” she said.
The latest discovery brings the number of women found dead in open areas around Kempton Park to six. Their bodies have been found on roadsides, in veld areas or behind buildings. Most were partially clothed and showed signs of bruising.
Police said on Monday that four of the women had been sexually assaulted. Investigators are now working to establish whether the cases are connected, while cautioning against drawing conclusions before the evidence has been examined.
The first woman, aged 37, was found near the R21 on 15 July. She was unclothed and had allegedly been restrained with cable ties. Her boyfriend was arrested and remains in custody.
A second woman, aged 32, was found partially clothed near the R21 on 24 August.
On 10 September, another woman was found unclothed and in an advanced state of decomposition. The following days brought two more deaths linked to the growing investigation.
Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, a 38-year-old Roseville runner, disappeared on 9 September after leaving home for her usual evening run. Her eight-year-old daughter raised the alarm when her mother failed to return after work.
Moselakgomo’s family later identified her body at the Germiston state mortuary. She had been found on Saturday in a bushy area not far from the road and not far from her home. Her family is demanding a thorough investigation and wants anyone responsible to be held accountable if criminality is established.
The fifth woman, believed to have been in her thirties, was found in a veld area at Olifantsfontein on Monday morning. A man walking to work discovered the body and alerted authorities.
The sixth body was then found in KwaThema on Tuesday morning, adding fresh urgency to the police operation. Details about the woman’s identity, the condition of her body and the circumstances surrounding her death had not yet been released while the scene remained active.
Police officials held a briefing at the Kempton Park police station on Monday night, before the latest discovery in KwaThema. Deputy national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili appeared alongside acting Gauteng commissioner Major-General Fred Kekana and Ekurhuleni metro police chief Isaac Mapiyeye.
Mosikili said a 72-hour investigation was under way. Detectives, forensic investigators, the K9 unit, the tracing unit, metro police and crime intelligence were all working on the case and following leads that police hoped to close by the end of the week.
The police teams are expected to examine the scenes, process forensic evidence, trace possible suspects and compare information from each case. Investigators will also need to establish the identities of the women who have not yet been publicly named and determine how and where they died.
The presence of several bodies in open spaces has caused fear in communities across the East Rand. Residents are now watching the investigation closely as police work to determine whether the cases have a common link or whether they involve different suspects and circumstances.
Police have not formally confirmed that one person is responsible for all six deaths. They have also not announced that the cases are connected. Officials have stressed the importance of allowing forensic work and detective investigations to guide the conclusions.
At the same time, the police leadership delivered a direct warning to whoever may be responsible for criminal acts connected to the deaths.
“Your days are numbered. This is not a threat, it’s a fact,” Mosikili said.
The statement came as police described the 72-hour operation and their efforts to bring the investigation forward. Officers are expected to use evidence from the scenes, witness information, forensic results and intelligence reports to identify those responsible.
For families of the victims, the investigation is about more than statistics. Each woman had relatives, friends and people waiting for her to come home. Moselakgomo’s family has spoken about the devastating loss of a mother and regular runner who left home for an ordinary evening jog.
Her family has also urged women not to be forced into living in fear of where they go. The repeated discovery of bodies in open spaces has raised serious concerns about women’s safety in the area, but investigators have warned that every claim must be tested against evidence.
The latest body was found while the KwaThema scene remained under police control. More information is expected once forensic teams have completed their initial work and the woman’s identity and cause of death have been confirmed.
With six women now found dead in and around Kempton Park since July, pressure is mounting on investigators to provide answers. The police operation is continuing across the East Rand, while families wait for identification, explanations and justice.
For now, the most urgent questions remain unanswered: who left the women in the open, whether the deaths are connected and how many more victims may still be waiting to be identified. Police say their investigation is active, their teams are following leads and the person or people responsible will be pursued.
