The discovery of another woman’s body in Kwa-Thema, Springs, has intensified fears among residents across Ekurhuleni, with six women now found dead in the broader area since July.
The latest body was discovered on the side of a road in Kwa-Thema on Tuesday morning, 15 September. Police have cordoned off the scene and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.
Kwa-Thema is about 45km from Kempton Park, where five women have been found dead since July.
Police have not confirmed that the six deaths are connected, but similarities in several of the cases have fuelled fears that a serial killer could be operating in the area.
What happened to the other women?
The first of the five Kempton Park-area victims was a 37-year-old woman whose body was discovered near the R21 in Rhodesfield on 15 July.
She was found naked and had been restrained with cable ties. Police subsequently arrested a suspect on 17 July in connection with her murder.
Gauteng acting provincial commissioner Major-General Fred Kekana said investigators had already made progress in that particular case, and the suspect remained in custody.
Police have indicated that this case appears to be treated separately while investigators examine whether the later deaths are connected.
The second known victim was a 32-year-old woman whose partially clothed body was found near the R21 on 24 August.
Her discovery added to growing concerns about women being targeted in the Rhodesfield and Kempton Park areas.
The third victim was found on 10 September. Her remains were already in an advanced state of decomposition, making identification difficult.
Police have not publicly released her identity or many details about how she died.
Then came the death that brought renewed attention to the cases.
Runner Elizabeth Moselakgomo found dead
Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, 38, disappeared after going for her regular run in Kempton Park.
Her eight-year-old daughter alerted relatives when Elizabeth failed to return home as expected, prompting a search for the missing mother.
Her body was discovered on 12 September behind a hotel in Rhodesfield, close to the R21 and Southern Sun OR Tambo. Her family identified her remains at the Germiston Mortuary on Monday, 14 September.
Elizabeth was a retail manager, mother, churchgoer and keen runner. Her death has particularly shaken the local running community, with memorial runs and demonstrations being planned in her honour.
Fifth victim found in Olifantsfontein
On Monday morning, 14 September, another woman was found dead in Olifantsfontein, bringing the number of women found dead in the broader Kempton Park area to five.
A passer-by reportedly spotted the body on the side of the road and alerted a security company, which then contacted police.
Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the woman appeared to have been dumped at the location.
“It does seem as though this body was just dumped here,” Mathe said.
The unidentified woman was found partially clothed and with visible injuries.
Mathe acknowledged that investigators had noticed similarities between the cases but urged the public to allow detectives to establish the facts.
“We found those similarities as well. Partially clothed, half naked. But like I’ve said, let’s give and allow these detectives time to really solve these cases,” she said.
Now a sixth body in Kwa-Thema
Just one day after the fifth discovery, another woman’s body was found in Kwa-Thema, Springs.
The circumstances surrounding the latest death have not yet been released, and police have not said whether the woman had any connection to the five victims found around Kempton Park.
The discovery has nevertheless heightened anxiety across Ekurhuleni because of the short period in which the bodies have been found and similarities reported in some of the cases.
Police investigating possible links
Authorities have been careful not to label the deaths as the work of a serial killer.
A multidisciplinary task team has been established to investigate the Kempton Park cases. The team includes specialised detectives and members of the Investigative Psychology Unit, who are examining behavioural patterns and possible connections between the cases.
Major-General Fred Kekana previously warned against drawing conclusions before the evidence had been analysed.
“While there are similarities in some of the circumstances surrounding the cases, it would be premature at this stage to conclude that the four cases are linked or that they involve one perpetrator,” Kekana said.
“Our responsibility is to establish the facts through evidence.”
Deputy national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili said investigators were looking at victim and suspect profiles as part of the probe.
Police have also confirmed that four of the five Kempton Park victims showed signs of sexual assault, although one body was too badly decomposed for investigators to make the same determination at this stage.
Police warn against serial killer speculation
Although the similarities have raised fears of a serial killer, SAPS has not confirmed that one perpetrator is responsible.
Police are investigating several possibilities, including whether the deaths are connected, whether there could be multiple perpetrators or whether some of the cases are unrelated.
Kekana said: “We are not limiting ourselves to one suspect or one theory.”
He urged the public and media not to prematurely link the cases.
At the same time, police have increased their presence in affected areas and advised women to take additional precautions while investigators work to establish what happened.
Residents have been urged to avoid isolated areas, exercise or walk in groups where possible, inform someone of their movements and remain alert to their surroundings.
The City of Ekurhuleni has also activated its Joint Operations Centre, while the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department is increasing patrols around transport nodes, pedestrian routes, parks, open spaces and other isolated areas.
Three of the five victims remain unidentified
Authorities are also appealing to families who have reported women missing to come forward.
Of the five women found in the Kempton Park-area cases, only two had been identified by their families as of Monday – including Elizabeth Moselakgomo and the first victim.
Three bodies remained unidentified, with one particularly difficult to identify because of the advanced state of decomposition.
The latest Kwa-Thema victim has yet to be identified.
For now, investigators are working to determine whether the six deaths form part of one pattern or represent separate crimes. Until forensic and investigative evidence establishes a connection, authorities have not classified the deaths as the work of a serial killer.
