Police probe bodies of women found near Johannesburg since July, as a link remains unproven

Pinned summary · as of 05:03

South African police are investigating the deaths of women whose bodies have turned up in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, and neighbouring areas since July 2026. At least nine women are counted so far, and later reports give higher totals. Detectives have not established whether one person or group is behind the killings, and the case has become a national talking point on violence against women.

What we know

• The bodies of at least nine women have been recovered since July 2026 in Ekurhuleni and surrounding parts of Gauteng, with Kempton Park a recurring location.
• Police have not shown that one person or group carried out the killings. Officers are still working out whether individual cases are connected.
• A woman's body was found in a cemetery in Tembisa, on the north-eastern side of Johannesburg, on Saturday 26 September, adding to the toll.
• At least one arrest has been made in connection with one of the killings, and detectives are trying to trace others who may have played a part in that case.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  The official tally keeps changing. The Press Radio put the toll at nine in mid-September and at 11 after a further discovery in Springs on 27 September, The Ghana Report counted ten with the Tembisa find, and MyJoyOnline later spoke of 12 in two months. The Ghana Report also mentioned a further death in Soweto, and MyJoyOnline said it is unclear whether that case is linked.
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  Gauteng Police Commissioner Lt Gen Tommy Mthombeni said it is too early to say if the latest death is tied to the others, and that the earlier cases share a similar pattern in their victims and method. He added that a serial killer cannot be ruled out but cannot be conclusively confirmed either, The Ghana Report said; MyJoyOnline reported police saying the same.
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  The Press Radio reported that police believe one Tembisa victim may have been killed with stones and that a post-mortem is expected, and that a suspect has been arrested in that case. MyJoyOnline added that a 36-year-old man who had travelled to another province was arrested and faces a murder charge.
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  Reports differ on how many people are in custody. The Press Radio said four people are being held in connection with cases in the series, The Ghana Report said three men appeared in court earlier in the week over one of the earlier killings, and MyJoyOnline reported arrests in three cases that it said seem unrelated to the rest. MyJoyOnline also said two women were charged in one case, with police pointing to a possible love triangle, which has not been tested in court.
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  The Press Radio reported that several victims were found in isolated places and that some cases showed signs of sexual assault. Police have not detailed this in other reports.
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  The Press Radio reported that police cautioned women and girls to take sensible precautions without restricting their freedom of movement, that detectives, forensic experts and crime intelligence units are involved, that the Department of Home Affairs is helping to identify victims through fingerprints, and that a reward has been offered. MyJoyOnline put the reward at 400,000 rand and said a task team has been set up.
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  MyJoyOnline reported that South African police statistics recorded 5,427 murders between April and June, and that the Human Rights Commission counted 569 women killed and 1,052 who survived attempted murder in those three months. The Ghana Report gave the same figures. The Press Radio, for its part, cited 6,782 distress calls to the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre between 1 and 16 September, a rise on the August rate.
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  MyJoyOnline reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa called the killings “a stain on our national conscience”, conceded that protection for women and girls has fallen short, and announced an emergency response involving several government bodies. Its report said he ordered every municipality to begin a women's safety audit, announced measures to curb alcohol-related violence and asked men and boys to lead efforts against gender-based violence. The Press Radio separately said he told police to prioritise the investigation.
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  Ramaphosa said there is no evidence yet that a single perpetrator is responsible, though many people fear this, according to MyJoyOnline. “We have placed the burden of male violence on women,” he said, arguing that the answer cannot be to make women less free.
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  MyJoyOnline reported that a 23-year-old woman died from gunshots in Tembisa while commuting to work, in an apparent robbery, and that police have found no connection to the other cases.

Why it matters for Ghana

The reports do not say that any Ghanaian is among the victims. Many Ghanaians live, study and trade in South Africa, and their relatives in Accra, Kumasi and elsewhere will be following how police and government respond. The debate over women's safety, and how quickly missing-person reports and killings are investigated, is one that Ghanaian households and institutions also recognise.