Johannesburg – The discovery of the seventh body of a woman has heightened fears of a possible serial killer on the loose.
Earlier today, Tuesday 15 September 2026, the police announced that a sixth body had been found on the side of a road in KwaThema, Springs, on the East Rand, Gauteng.
Hours later, reports said a seventh body of a woman had been found in Tembisa.
The other five bodies found in the Kempton Park area – in the last two months – had concerning similarities, but police have stopped short of saying there was a serial killer on the loose.
Commenting on the unfolding tragedy, President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared that no stone will be left unturned to solve the recent killings of women in and around Kempton Park in Gauteng.
“I speak for all of us as I extend my deepest condolences to all families and communities affected by the killing of women recently found in and around Kempton Park,” President Ramaphosa said.
“These incidents are causing fear and uncertainty in our communities, and especially among women.
“As government, we share the concerns of all South Africans, and we mourn the lives so cruelly taken away.”
President Ramaphosa added: “Our law enforcement agencies are working urgently to establish the facts, keep communities safe, and bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice.
“I have spoken to the Minister of Police and the Acting National Police Commissioner, who have briefed me on the investigation.
“I have directed that these cases be prioritised and that no stone be left unturned in bringing those responsible to justice.
“Our law enforcement agencies are undertaking this work in partnership with citizens, on whom we depend for any information that may help end these attacks on women.
“As a nation, we must stand up for the rights, safety and dignity of women and girls.
“As we do so, our hearts go out to all the families affected by the terrible events in the Kempton Park area.
Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President, said: “If anyone has information about these incidents or if you are missing a relative or friend, please contact Warrant Officer Elvis Manyike on 082 465 7249.”
Acting Police Minister, Professor Firoz Cachalia, has returned to South Africa from a working visit to China and has prioritised receiving an update on the ongoing investigation.
“The discovery of multiple women murdered in the Kempton Park area is deeply disturbing,” said Professor Cachalia.
“While the investigation must establish whether these cases are linked, the possibility that a perpetrator or perpetrators may be targeting women demands our urgent and determined attention.
“A multidisciplinary investigation has been established to examine possible links between the cases, identify those responsible and bring them to justice
Minister Cachalia extended his “sincere condolences” to the families and loved ones of the deceased.
Meanwhile, suggestions by the police for women, especially in the Kempton Park area, to exercise caution have drawn criticism.
The Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality (Free SA) said it was deeply concerned by warnings from the South African Police Service urging women in and around Kempton Park not to walk or run alone following the disturbing discovery of bodies of murdered women.
“While sensible precautions during an active threat may be understandable, such warnings cannot become a substitute for effective policing,” Free SA said.
“Government’s responsibility is to make our streets safe, apprehend violent criminals and ensure that South Africans can exercise their basic freedoms without living in constant fear.”
So far only two of the murdered women have been positively identified.
Reacting to the identification of Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, a 38-year-old mother and runner who had been reported missing, the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) said it was “ outraged and grief-stricken”.
Moselakgomo left for a run on 10 September and never came home.
Her eight-year-old daughter raised the alarm.
“That a woman cannot run, cannot move through her own neighbourhood, cannot live without the threat of violent death is a condemnation of a society organised around profit, exploitation and patriarchal domination,” GIWUSA stated.
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) said these killings reinforce its long-standing position that South Africa must restore the death penalty for the most heinous crimes.
South Africa abolished the death penalty on 6 June 1995, after a historic resolution was taken by the Constitutional Court.
“A justice system cannot be considered adequate when those who rape, murder and deliberately destroy innocent lives face punishment that does not reflect the gravity of their crimes,” the ATM said.
The ATM party said it believes that serial killers, rapists who murder their victims, and those who intentionally take innocent life must face the ultimate consequence.
