Nine Women Dead in Nine Weeks: Why Ekurhuleni’s Crisis Demands Answers Now

What is actually happening in Ekurhuleni?

In just nine weeks, nine women have been found dead across Ekurhuleni, a sprawling metro east of Johannesburg in Gauteng province. The latest victim — a woman believed to be around 30 years old — was discovered partially naked on Lama Street in the Villa Lisa area of Boksburg on a Thursday morning. Her throat had been slit. She was found near a railway line and an informal settlement, wearing only a blue T-shirt and pink underwear. Her identity had not yet been established.

This was not an isolated incident. It was the third case involving a dead woman reported in Ekurhuleni in just four days.

Where have the bodies been found?

Acting Gauteng police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana confirmed that preliminary information suggests the latest victim was killed elsewhere and her body dumped in Dawn Park — a detail that points to deliberate concealment and calculated movement.

Who are the victims?

Of the nine women found dead, only three have been publicly identified. Itumeleng Kekana, 32. Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, 38, who disappeared after leaving home for a morning run on 9 September — her body was found three days later, sparking a social media campaign by fellow runners demanding justice. And Dineo Evelyn Motapane, 38, identified by her own family after she was found strangled in KwaThema.

Six women remain unidentified. That is six families who may not yet know they have lost someone.

Are the cases connected?

This is the question at the centre of the investigation — and right now, there is no confirmed answer. Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia stated it was too early to identify a pattern. Police are actively examining whether the deaths are linked, but no official connection has been established between the cases.

What investigators do know is that the killings share troubling similarities: women found in open spaces, often partially naked, often showing signs of violent assault. Deputy national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili, who visited the latest crime scene, acknowledged the gravity of the situation directly: “We cannot give a case of this magnitude to the province alone.” A multidisciplinary team of experts has been deployed to investigate.

What are authorities doing about it?

Police have ramped up their presence in affected communities. Roadblocks and heightened patrols have been reported in areas including Kempton Park. A R400,000 reward has been offered by police for information leading to arrests. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has separately put up R500,000.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said police are making progress in two or three of the cases — though he offered no specifics. Lieutenant-General Mosikili expressed confidence in the deployed teams, saying they are “able and capable” of solving the killings.

Authorities have also urged the public to stop circulating photographs of victims and unverified reports on social media, warning that such content spreads panic and could inspire copycat crimes.

What do residents and communities want?

People on the ground are not waiting patiently. Residents of Dawn Park are calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy soldiers to the area to support police. When news of the latest discovery broke, community members rushed to the scene in dressing gowns, slippers and blankets — a raw image of a neighbourhood living in fear.

“I hope the government can assist us by arresting the person or people who have been committing these killings, because the current situation is becoming unbearable. We don’t know what’s to happen next,” said Dawn Park resident Nomgqibelo Tshabalala.

That frustration is real, and it is justified. Nine women in nine weeks is not a statistic — it is a community under siege.

What can you do?

If you have any information related to these deaths, South African police are urging the public to come forward. Staying informed, sharing verified information from credible sources, and holding authorities accountable through civic engagement are all meaningful ways young people can respond to a crisis like this one. The women of Ekurhuleni deserve justice — and silence is not an option.