The number of women’s bodies discovered in Gauteng has risen to eight, with police investigating whether the deaths are connected or whether different perpetrators are responsible.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed the figure during a high-level meeting in Parktown on Tuesday night, where senior police officials and investigators briefed the government on the ongoing investigation.
The eighth body was discovered in Olifantsfontein, while another woman was found dead in KwaThema, Springs. That case is being examined alongside five deaths in and around Kempton Park and the discovery of a woman’s body in a river in Clayville near Tembisa Mall.
Police have not confirmed that a serial killer is responsible. National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said investigators were still analysing evidence to establish whether the deaths were connected, whether one person was responsible or whether a group of men may be involved.
“We are still investigating whether we are dealing with one perpetrator or a group of men behind these murders. Could it be that a copycat crime is happening right here? So far, there are no linkages yet, and we are not going to rush the investigation because we need to ensure that we get it right,” Mathe said.
“This is not an investigation that you can rush because it is quite complex. It involves a lot of women and, at this stage, it may indicate multiple perpetrators. But let us leave it to the detectives because we want the detectives to give us the real perpetrators.”
Mathe urged the public to be patient while investigators work through the evidence.
“If we put them under pressure to speed up the investigations, we might make mistakes, and we do not want to arrest the wrong people.”
The latest developments have increased fear among women and residents across Ekurhuleni and nearby areas. Communities want to know whether the deaths are part of a wider pattern, while police are warning against conclusions that have not yet been supported by evidence.
KwaThema Body Examined
The body of a woman found on the side of the road in KwaThema, Springs, on Tuesday is now part of the wider investigation. KwaThema is about 45km from Kempton Park.
Acting Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said a pathologist’s preliminary assessment indicated that the woman appeared to have been strangled around the neck. A post-mortem examination was expected to take place on Wednesday.
“The pathologist who examined the body gave a preliminary report that the woman appears to have been strangled around the neck. That’s what we have for now,” Kekana said.
“What I can assure you is that the team is hard at work, and we are doing all we can to link anything that can assist,” he said.
Residents said the woman had no clothes on and appeared to have been dead for several days. Zanele Shabalala said residents were alerted after a local woman shared a photograph in a community WhatsApp group.
“About 6am to 7am, we got the call that there’s a lady who was killed here,” Shabalala said.
“When we got here, we found the body of a woman with no clothes on. We requested the police that we see because we have children, and our children are going anywhere they want to go. So we then went to see.”
Shabalala said the death appeared violent, but residents did not know who could be responsible.
“Whoever has done this, I wish God could expose him because the woman was naked. You can’t see what it is that they used to kill her. You don’t know what it is that they used, but she’s dead.”
She said residents believed the woman may have died several days earlier and that her body may have been dumped in the area during the early hours of the morning.
“You find that she died five or three days ago. And whoever killed this lady, he dumped her here around the time when it was raining, around past three to four in the morning.”
The discovery has left women in the community afraid, with residents saying they no longer feel safe even inside their homes.
“We don’t know, but remember he’s a child of a parent. And we feel what is happening as women. We are afraid. We are afraid as women. We don’t know because even when we are at home, they come even at home. So we are afraid. We are no longer safe in this community.”
Shabalala called on the government to intervene.
“We call on the government to do something so that we can be free as women.”
Possible Link To Kempton Park Cases
Residents fear that the KwaThema death may be linked to the deaths of women in Kempton Park. Shabalala said community members had noticed similarities between the incidents and were concerned about the possibility of a serial killer.
“The South African Police Service is saying they don’t want to say they have a serial killer on the loose. But they are also not giving out the point that he might have a serial killer on the loose.”
She said she believed the cases could be connected.
“Because one of the policemen also said this, what happened here is one of the things that happened in Kempton Park. So it’s almost the same. So it means it’s one person who’s doing this.”
Those views reflect the fears of residents but have not been confirmed by police. Mathe said there were no established links between the cases at this stage and that detectives were still analysing the available evidence.
Ward 78 councillor Sizwe Nhleko said he was called to the KwaThema scene after the body was discovered. He said police later determined that the woman may not have been killed where she was found.
“So the police arrived, and then when they started investigating the area, they discovered that the incident never happened here. The body was dumped by someone. She might have died somewhere and then been moved again to this place.”
Nhleko said the body was naked and had started to decompose. He also said authorities were increasingly concerned about possible illegal activity in the area.
The condition and location of the body may make the investigation more difficult. Detectives will have to establish where the woman was killed, how she was transported and whether anyone saw a vehicle or people near the area.
The Kempton Park Deaths
The KwaThema discovery follows five deaths in and around Kempton Park.
The first victim, a 37-year-old woman, was found near the R21 on 15 July. She was naked and had been restrained with cable ties. A suspect was arrested two days later and remains in custody.
A second body, belonging to a 32-year-old woman, was found near the R21 on 24 August. She had visible bruises and was partially clothed.
On 10 September, the body of an unidentified woman was found near Rhodesfield in Kempton Park in an advanced state of decomposition. She was also partially clothed.
Two days later, on 12 September, the body of a 38-year-old woman was found behind a hotel in Rhodesfield. She was wearing sports clothing and was partially clothed.
The remains were later identified as those of Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo. She disappeared on 10 September after leaving her Kempton Park home for her routine afternoon run. Her eight-year-old daughter raised the alarm after Moselakgomo failed to return home at her usual time.
Her family positively identified her body at the Germiston Forensic Pathology Service facility.
A fifth body was discovered on 14 September along the R21 near Olifantsfontein. The remains are still subject to formal identification.
Mathe said the woman found in KwaThema also appeared to be in her 30s. The number of deaths being considered in the investigation has now grown beyond the original Kempton Park cases, making it more difficult for detectives to identify a single pattern.
Kekana also said police had only realised that the body found in Clayville should be included in the wider investigation after the other bodies were discovered.
“After noticing that bodies had been recovered, we returned to our police stations. Unfortunately, it came to light that on the 7th of this month, the body of a woman in her late 20s was found in the river in Clayville, next to Tembisa Mall,” he said.
“Therefore, this body will also be included as part of those to be investigated by the whole team.
“Therefore, we don’t have six bodies. This one will be included as the seventh body.”
The police investigation will now need to establish how many cases are connected, whether any victims had been reported missing and whether the same forensic evidence appears across the scenes.
Police Increase Resources
Mathe acknowledged the anxiety among residents and said police were increasing visibility, resources and capacity in Gauteng. Specialised resources are also being brought in to support the investigation.
“We understand their concerns and anxiety. The situation cannot continue and be left unabated. There must be something that is done. On our side, we are increasing visibility, resources and capacity, as well as bringing in specialised resources to support the province of Gauteng.”
Mathe said Cachalia would lead a high-level delegation and meet experts within SAPS. Police would also engage private security companies and protection associations.
“Now is not the time to blame games,” Mathe said.
The involvement of private security companies and protection associations may help investigators gather information about patrol routes, surveillance footage, suspicious vehicles and reports from guards working near the locations where bodies were found.
Police are urging women to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity. Residents are also being asked to provide any information, even if it appears insignificant.
The investigation remains open, and no final conclusion has been reached about a serial killer, a copycat crime or multiple perpetrators. Police have warned that rushing to arrest the wrong person could damage the case and leave the real perpetrators free.
For families, however, the need for answers is immediate. Moselakgomo’s body has been identified, but the latest victim in Olifantsfontein remains subject to formal identification, while the KwaThema and Clayville cases are being added to the wider investigation.
The number of women’s bodies linked to the investigation has now risen to eight. Detectives must determine whether that figure represents one pattern, several separate crimes or a combination of both.
Until the forensic and investigative work is complete, no single explanation can be confirmed. What police have promised is that the cases will be examined together, that specialised resources will be deployed and that evidence will guide the investigation.
