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South African police have discovered the bodies of at least seven women in and around Kempton Park northeast of Johannesburg since mid-July 2026 with most found partially or fully naked and showing signs of bruising. Forensic examinations indicated sexual assault in the majority of cases while one suspect arrested in connection with the first discovery on July 15 remains in custody according to South African Police Service statements reported by IOL. The victims were largely in their 30s and the cases share enough similarities to prompt a public warning even as officers stop short of confirming a serial killer at this stage. A body located on September 7 in a river near Thembisa Mall has been incorporated into the investigation which expanded further with finds on September 14 and 15.[[1]](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crgqde1nex2vo)
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the killings after being briefed by the police minister and acting national commissioner stating that the incidents have caused fear and uncertainty especially among women in affected communities. “I have directed that these cases be prioritised and that no stone be left unturned in bringing those responsible to justice” Ramaphosa said in remarks carried by IOL on September 15. He ordered the establishment of a dedicated multidisciplinary task team under Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane to examine potential connections among the deaths. The team draws on detectives forensic experts tracking units K9 teams and the Investigative Psychology Unit with Gauteng Deputy Provincial Commissioner Major General Mbuso Khumalo appointed to lead it according to an SAPS release.[[2]](https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-09-15-leave-no-stone-unturned-ramaphosa-reacts-to-six-women-found-dead-in-and-around-kempton-park/)
One victim has been named as 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo whose body was identified by relatives at a Germiston mortuary after she disappeared during a routine afternoon jog on September 10. Her remains were located two days later in Rhodesfield behind a hotel where she was found wearing sports clothing but partially undressed and bruised the BBC reported. Family members described her as the glue of the household with a particularly strong bond to her eight-year-old daughter. Police urged women in the Kempton Park and Rhodesfield areas to avoid exercising alone in isolated spots and to remain vigilant in groups where possible.[[3]](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxyvzggzd5jgo)
The killings have drawn renewed attention to South Africa’s elevated femicide rate which the Guardian noted stands among the world’s highest with more than 5,578 women murdered in the year ending March 2024 per official police data. A forensic pathologist cited Parliamentary Research Unit figures based on South African Medical Research Council studies showing that intimate partners accounted for 60.1 percent of identified perpetrators in 2020-21 while strangers comprised only 10.1 percent. The same data indicated three women are killed daily by intimate partners and that 44.2 percent of femicide cases had no identified perpetrator.[[4]](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/16/discovery-women-bodies-anger-femicide-south-africa)
In the 2025-26 financial year authorities recorded 50,511 gender-based violence and femicide cases yet nearly 20,000 produced neither arrests nor referrals to prosecutors according to figures cited by The Citizen from the police minister’s briefing. Gauteng registered 8,933 such incidents while KwaZulu-Natal led with 9,412 and rape formed the largest category at 36,217 reports overall. UN Women in a 2026 assessment highlighted weak law enforcement patriarchal norms and underreporting as persistent barriers that sustain impunity in gender-based violence cases across the country.[[5]](https://www.citizen.co.za/news/nearly-20-000-gbvf-cases-did-not-result-in-arrests-or-prosecution/)
Police have mapped the discovery sites along the R21 highway and in nearby Rhodesfield Olifantsfontein and KwaThema emphasising that preliminary similarities do not yet confirm linkage but warrant intensified scrutiny. Brigadier Athlenda Mathe and Major General Fred Kekana have conducted multiple briefings detailing the timeline from the July 15 find of a 37-year-old restrained with cable ties to the most recent Tuesday morning discovery. The SAPS has reiterated that the safety of women remains a priority and that decisive action will not await further incidents before expanding resources.
