South Africa: Nine Women Dead and Police Still Can’t Say Who Is Behind It

Police have found the body of another woman in Dawn Park, Ekurhuleni, as concern grows over a string of women’s deaths in the area.

The woman was found half-naked and wrapped in a sheet on the side of the road on Thursday morning. Her death brings to nine the number of women whose bodies have been found across Ekurhuleni over the past two months.

Police were at the scene and have formed a multidisciplinary team to investigate the deaths. They are looking into whether the cases are connected. Police have said one suspect has been arrested and a second identified, but have not clarified which of the nine cases either suspect is linked to.

Among the victims is jogger Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, 38, who disappeared after leaving home for an afternoon run. Her body was found on Saturday, 12 September.

Separately, the South African Human Rights Commission has condemned the deaths, saying violence against women in the country remains widespread. “South Africa is not a safe place for women,” the commission said.

The commission said 569 women were killed and another 1,052 survived attempted murder between April and June 2026. It said 8,814 rape cases were reported in the first quarter of the year alone. It said women and girls should not have to take extraordinary measures just to live ordinary lives.

The commission has joined the Commission for Gender Equality and the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities for a national inquiry into gender-based violence and femicide, running from 28 September to 2 October. The inquiry will examine how cases are reported and investigated, support available to victims, and how the justice system handles cases before trial. The commission has called on the public and civil society to take part, and on law enforcement to ensure those responsible for violence against women are brought to justice.

By  Scrolla.