Tenth Woman Found Dead in Ekurhuleni as Police Probe Possible Links Between Killings

By Angel No Lie | KPD Online | 27 September 2026 

South African police are investigating the death of another woman in Tembisa, east of Johannesburg, after her body was discovered at Mooifontein Cemetery on Saturday, bringing the number of women whose bodies have been found in the Ekurhuleni municipality over the past two months to 10.

The latest discovery has intensified concern about a series of killings across the municipality. Authorities are examining whether some of the cases are connected, but police have not established that a single killer is responsible.

Forensic Teams Investigate Latest Woman’s Death Near Johannesburg

Body discovered in Tembisa

The unidentified woman was found in the Vusimusi section of Tembisa South, near Mooifontein Cemetery, on the morning of September 26.

Gauteng police spokesperson Brenda Muridili initially confirmed only the discovery of the body, saying crime-scene management teams and other specialists had been deployed to investigate. The woman’s identity and the circumstances surrounding her death had not immediately been established.

Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lt Gen Tommy Mthombeni later said investigators were examining evidence from the scene. Reports citing police said evidence could indicate that the woman had been assaulted with stones, but a post-mortem examination is required to establish the official cause of death.

Tembisa Cemetery Becomes Latest Scene in Women’s Deaths Investigation

Ten deaths in Ekurhuleni

The latest case follows nine other deaths investigated by police in the Ekurhuleni area since July.

The cases have occurred in places including Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, Kwa-Thema and Dawn Park. Several victims were young women, and some cases involved bodies being found partly or completely undressed. Police have said investigators are comparing evidence to determine whether there are connections.

There is an important distinction between the figures being reported: the latest Tembisa discovery makes 10 female bodies found in Ekurhuleni, while reports say the wider Gauteng provincial total is 11, because a separate woman’s body was discovered in Soweto earlier in September.

Police Expand Investigation After Tenth Body Is Found

Police cannot yet confirm a serial killer

The concentration of cases has generated fears that a serial killer could be operating in the area.

Police, however, have urged caution.

Investigators are examining similarities between the cases but have not publicly established that all of the deaths were committed by the same person or group. Police have also identified different circumstances in some of the cases.

That distinction is significant because the discovery of multiple bodies in the same region does not, by itself, establish a serial-killing pattern.

Arrests already made in earlier case

There have nevertheless been developments in individual investigations.

Police previously arrested three people — a man and two women — in connection with the death of Jabulile Ntimba, whose body was found in Dawn Park on September 17. Police said at the time that the case could have stemmed from a relationship dispute or possible love triangle, while stressing that investigations were continuing.

The people arrested in that case have not been publicly linked by police to the other deaths.

Specialist investigation expanded

Authorities have assembled a multidisciplinary investigative operation involving detectives, forensic specialists, Crime Intelligence officers and members of the SAPS Investigative Psychology Section.

Police have also increased operational deployments in affected areas as investigators work through the individual cases and examine possible connections.

A R400,000 reward has reportedly been offered for information that could help investigators identify and arrest those responsible for the killings.

A wider gender-based violence crisis

The deaths have renewed attention on South Africa’s longstanding problem of violence against women.

The latest killings have prompted public concern, community responses and renewed calls for stronger protection and policing. The cases are unfolding against a broader national debate over gender-based violence and the effectiveness of measures designed to protect women.

President Cyril Ramaphosa commented on the latest discovery, expressing concern about the continuing killing of women in South Africa.

What investigators still need to establish

Several crucial questions remain unanswered:

• Who was the woman found in Tembisa?
• What caused her death?
• Where and when did the killing occur?
• Was her body taken to the cemetery after her death?
• Are there forensic links between her case and the other Ekurhuleni deaths?
• Were the earlier killings carried out by the same person or by different perpetrators?

The answers will depend on post-mortem results, forensic evidence, witness accounts and the comparison of evidence from the separate investigations.

Independent assessment

The discovery of the 10th woman’s body is a significant development in the Ekurhuleni investigation, but it should not yet be described as proof of a serial killer. Police are still determining which cases, if any, are connected.

The clearest established fact is that 10 women’s bodies have been found in Ekurhuleni since July, while investigators are now using expanded specialist resources to determine the circumstances surrounding each death.