Eight of the nine women whose bodies were discovered in different parts of Ekurhuleni since July have now been identified, as police continue a wide-ranging investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The cases have been reported in areas including Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, Clayville, Kwa-Thema and Dawn Park. Police are investigating each death separately while also examining whether any evidence could establish links between the cases.
Authorities have cautioned the public against concluding that all nine women were killed by the same person or group. Investigators are still gathering evidence and have not publicly established that the cases are connected.
The first known case involved **37-year-old Busisiwe Mahlangu**, whose body was discovered in Kempton Park on 15 July. Police said she had been found naked and restrained with cable ties. A suspect was arrested two days later and remains in custody.
**Itumeleng Kekana, 32**, was reported missing in Kempton Park on 17 July. After a 17-day search, her body was discovered near Great North Road, close to the Max informal settlement in Pomona, on 3 August. A murder investigation was opened, with reports indicating that she had suffered multiple stab wounds. Kekana was later buried in QwaQwa and left behind a 14-year-old daughter.
**Nomfesane Mjobo** was found in Kempton Park on 26 August. Her identification has added another name to the investigation, although her age has not been publicly confirmed.
On 7 September, the body of an unidentified woman was found floating in a river near the Mall of Thembisa in Clayville. Police said she was believed to have been in her late 20s. Her identity had not been publicly released.
**Gracious Nkomo, 28**, was found partially clothed near the R21 around the Voortrekker Road crossing in Kempton Park on 10 September. Her family identified her at the Germiston Mortuary on 17 September.
Another victim was **Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, 38**, who disappeared after leaving her Rhodesfield home for a run on 9 September. Her eight-year-old daughter, Khumo, became concerned when she failed to return home. Moselakgomo’s body was later found in Rhodesfield. Her family identified her on 14 September before she was laid to rest in Mpumalanga.
A woman found in Olifantsfontein on 14 September has also been identified, but police have withheld her name while arrangements are made to formally notify her family.
**Dineo Evelyn Motapane, 38**, was found beside a road in Kwa-Thema, Springs, on 15 September. Her family identified her at Springs Mortuary the following day. She leaves behind a two-year-old daughter.
The ninth woman, **Jabulile Ntimba**, was found in Dawn Park, Boksburg, on 17 September. Police later announced the arrest of three suspects — two women and one man — in connection with her murder.
Senior police officials and a multidisciplinary investigative team are assisting with the broader investigation. Detectives, forensic specialists and Crime Intelligence personnel are examining the cases and searching for evidence that could determine whether any of the deaths are connected.
For the families involved, the investigation represents more than a series of cases. Each woman had relatives and loved ones who are now seeking answers about how and why their lives ended.
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