Ninth Victim Discovered in South Africa Amid Serial Killer Fears
WHO:
ABC News - South African police are investigating a series of killings.
ABC News - Provincial police commissioner Fred Kekana is involved in the investigation.
ABC News - Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi commented on the situation.
CBS News - Missing In Southern Africa is an organization supporting missing people and their families.
WHAT:
Al Jazeera - The first body was discovered on July 17, naked and restrained with cable ties.
Al Jazeera - One of the victims was identified as 38-year-old Elizabeth Tsontso Moselakgomo, who went missing while out jogging.
Al Jazeera - South African police recorded 9,782 reported rapes between January and March 2026, along with 12,590 sexual offences, amounting to roughly 108 reported rapes every day.
Al Jazeera - Almost half of the reported rapes, 4,620, or 47.2 percent, took place at the home of the victim or the perpetrator.
DW.com - Police have offered a reward of 400,000 rand (about $25,000 or €21,400) for information leading to an arrest.
CBS News - Police have imposed a lockdown in Kempton Park, with deputy police chief Tebello Mosikili stating, "We cannot continue picking up bodies."
ABC News - A ninth woman's body has been discovered, potentially linked to a series of killings.
CBS News - All nine bodies were found in the Ekurhuleni municipality over the last two months.
ABC News - The latest body was found with an apparent stab wound and a cut throat.
CBS News - Police have imposed a lockdown in Kempton Park.
CBS News - Police have stated that some similarities in the killings were "sufficiently concerning for the police to issue a public warning."
WHERE:
ABC News - The bodies were found in the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg.
CBS News - Specific communities where bodies were found include Kempton Park, Pomona, Clayville, Olifantsfontein, Rhodesfield, KwaThema, and Dawn Park.
WHEN:
CBS News - The latest body was discovered early Thursday.
CBS News - The bodies have been found over the last two months.
WHY:
Al Jazeera - In November 2025, South Africa’s National Disaster Management Centre classified gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster following sustained pressure from civil society organizations.
Al Jazeera - A study in 2022 by a South African think tank found that more than 35 percent of South African adult women had experienced physical or sexual violence at some point.
DW.com - President Cyril Ramaphosa stated, "These incidents are causing fear and uncertainty in our communities, and especially among women."
BBC News - Local resident Bongeka Sebela expressed fear, stating, "We are scared to come out of our houses. We are scared to go to the shops. We are no longer free in a country where we are supposed to be safe as women."
ABC News - The discoveries have raised concerns about femicide and high levels of violent crime in South Africa.
CBS News - Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi stated, "They've declared war against the state. We'll respond."
HOW:
CBS News - Police have set up roadblocks in Kempton Park as part of the lockdown measures.
ABC News - A passerby found the latest body near a construction site and alerted police.
ABC News - Police have assigned a multidisciplinary team of experts to investigate the cases.
(UPDATED September 18, 2026 07:07 UTC)
In a tragic development, the first body linked to a series of crimes was discovered on July 17, with one of the victims identified as 38-year-old Elizabeth Tsontso Moselakgomo, who had gone missing while jogging. South African police reported a staggering 9,782 rapes and 12,590 sexual offenses between January and March 2026, averaging about 108 reported rapes each day, with nearly half occurring at the home of the victim or perpetrator. This alarming situation prompted South Africa’s National Disaster Management Centre to classify gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster in November 2025, following significant advocacy from civil society organizations.
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(UPDATED September 18, 2026 03:59 UTC)
Police in South Africa are offering a reward of 400,000 rand, which is roughly $25,000, for information that could lead to an arrest in response to rising concerns in the community. President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed that these incidents are instilling fear and uncertainty, particularly among women. In an effort to address the situation, police have established roadblocks in Kempton Park as part of their lockdown measures.
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(UPDATED September 17, 2026 16:00 UTC)
Police have imposed a lockdown in Kempton Park, with deputy police chief Tebello Mosikili emphasizing the urgency of the situation by stating, "We cannot continue picking up bodies." Local resident Bongeka Sebela shared her fear, saying, "We are scared to come out of our houses. We are scared to go to the shops. We are no longer free in a country where we are supposed to be safe as women."
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(UPDATED September 17, 2026 10:59 UTC)
South African police are investigating a disturbing series of killings after the discovery of a ninth woman's body, which was found with an apparent stab wound and a cut throat in the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg. Over the past two months, all nine bodies have been located in various communities, prompting police to impose a lockdown in Kempton Park and issue a public warning due to concerning similarities in the cases. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has expressed deep concern over the situation, stating that authorities will respond decisively to what he described as a war against the state.