South Africa Shaken as Bodies of Nine Women Found in Ekurhuleni Amid Femicide Crisis

South African police and state pathologists are investigating potential connections between the murders of nine women whose bodies have been discovered in South Africa’s Ekurhuleni municipality over the past two months. The apparent killings, which share striking similarities, have shaken a nation long plagued by high rates of crime and femicide, sparking widespread fears that one or more offenders could strike again.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged men to play a greater part in preventing violence against women and girls and ordered the police to leave “no stone unturned” in their pursuit of justice. According to figures from UN Women, the rate at which women are killed in South Africa is five times higher than the global average.

When was the latest killing?

South African police made their latest discovery on Thursday, September 17, when they found the body of a woman in Dawn Park on the outskirts of Johannesburg in Ekurhuleni municipality. Local police stated that the unidentified, partially clothed woman, believed to be around 30 years old, had been stabbed and dumped. Authorities suspect she may have been killed at another location before her body was moved to the park, marking her as the ninth known woman to be killed in similar circumstances since July 17.

Where were the other bodies found?

All of the murdered women were discovered within the Ekurhuleni municipality in the greater Johannesburg area. The first five bodies were found in the Kempton Park area, while the others were discovered in separate locations 25-35km away. Dawn Park is situated about 30km south of Kempton Park.

Do we know who the victims are?

Local media reports indicate that only four of the nine victims have been identified so far. The battered and burned body of Dineo Motapane, a 38-year-old mother of two, was discovered in a residential area of Ekurhuleni. The partially clothed body of 28-year-old Gracious Nkomo was found on September 10 dumped on the R21 highway in Kempton Park. Elizabeth Moselakgomo, 38, was also found dead in Kempton Park after her young daughter alerted police when she failed to return from a run. Itumeleng Kekana, a 32-year-old shopkeeper, was found bruised and partially clothed on a bridge in July, 17 days after she was last seen by her family. Five of the women remain unidentified.

Are the killings related?

Police have not yet established whether the crimes are connected or committed by one or multiple perpetrators. However, investigators are probing potential links due to similarities in the victims' ages and the conditions in which their bodies were found. All victims are believed to have been in their 20s or 30s, some were found naked or partially clothed, and several bore similar bruising.

Fred Kekana, police commissioner of the Gauteng province, cautioned against jumping to conclusions, stating that investigators are considering all possibilities. At least one suspect has been detained; Deputy police commissioner Tebello Mosikili confirmed the suspect appeared in court on Wednesday and remains in custody while police verify reports that he is not a South African national. Acting national police commissioner Puleng Dimpane and Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi have both expressed strong confidence that law enforcement will solve the case.

Police response and public reaction

Police have urged the public to share any helpful information and offered a reward of 400,000 rand ($25,000) for details leading to an arrest. Authorities advised women in the area to be on heightened alert and avoid walking or running alone near Kempton Park.

Organizations such as the National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA) and the Commission for Gender Equality emphasized that the responsibility for safety lies with society and the state rather than placing the onus on women. President Ramaphosa has called on men to take a stand against gender-based violence by signing a virtual pledge and holding one another accountable.

The killings have triggered widespread fear and anger, highlighting the ongoing crisis of gender-based violence in South Africa. According to the South African Medical Research Council, an average of 5.5 out of 100,000 women were killed by intimate partners between 2020 and 2021, and police recorded 9,782 rapes between January and March alone.