DAWN PARK, September 17 — South African police announced on Thursday that a ninth woman’s body had been discovered in Ekurhuleni, the municipality east of Johannesburg, deepening fears that a serial killer or killers may be responsible for a string of killings. All nine bodies have been found in Ekurhuleni over the past two months, according to police. The discoveries have sent shock waves across the country, sparked a high-level investigation, and highlighted the scourge of femicide and high levels of violent crime in South Africa.
Police previously said that some similarities in the killings of the first eight victims were “sufficiently concerning for the police to issue a public warning.” Provincial police commissioner Fred Kekana said a passerby found the latest body near a construction site and alerted police. The unidentified woman appeared to be about 30 years old and had an apparent stab wound to her side, while her throat appeared to have been cut, he said.
Forensic investigators had not yet determined the official cause of death. Kekana said police had not established whether her death was linked to the other cases and appealed for information from the public. He also urged people not to circulate photographs of the bodies or unverified reports on social media, warning that they were spreading fear and could encourage copycat crimes.
Lockdown in Kempton Park
A multidisciplinary team of experts has been assigned to investigate the cases and identify those responsible, according to police. So far, the bodies have been found across several Ekurhuleni communities including Kempton Park, Pomona, Clayville, Olifantsfontein, Rhodesfield, KwaThema and Dawn Park. Police have imposed a lockdown in Kempton Park, French news agency AFP reported.
“We cannot continue picking up bodies,” deputy police chief Tebello Mosikili told journalists in Dawn Park, where AFP said the latest body was found. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said police were pursuing leads and making progress in two or three cases, although he didn’t provide details.
He urged the public to give investigators time to gather sufficient evidence. “They’ve declared war against the state. We’ll respond,” Lesufi told reporters at the scene.
“We’re not going to surrender.” Missing In Southern Africa, which supports missing people and their families, urged communities and families to report immediately when they suspected something unusual. The organization said the discoveries have sent shock waves around the country.
The case has drawn national attention to the issue of femicide in South Africa, where violent crime rates remain among the highest in the world. Police have not named any suspects, and the investigation is ongoing. The latest discovery was made early Thursday, September 17, 2026, according to police.
The body was found near a construction site in Dawn Park, according to AFP. The police have appealed to the public for any information that could assist the investigation. What happens next turns on the forensic work and on whether investigators can link the nine deaths.
Until a cause of death is officially determined and any connection established, the police position remains what Kekana set out — no suspects named, no confirmed link, and an appeal to the public for information rather than speculation.
