A sixth woman has been found on the East Rand, police confirmed on Tuesday, deepening concern over a string of bodies discovered in and around Kempton Park since July.
Discovery and police response
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the body was located on the side of a road in KwaThema, Springs, on Tuesday morning. The area was cordoned off and treated as an active scene while forensic teams processed the site.
"It is an active scene,"
Deputy national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili addressed reporters on Monday evening at Kempton Park police station alongside acting Gauteng commissioner Major-General Fred Kekana and Ekurhuleni metro police chief Isaac Mapiyeye. Mosikili said a concentrated 72-hour investigation was under way, deploying detectives, forensic investigators, the K9 unit, the tracing unit, metro police and crime intelligence to follow leads.
"Your days are numbered. This is not a threat, it's a fact," Mosikili said, signalling the urgency with which police intend to pursue suspects and close the case.
Pattern of discoveries
The latest finding raises to six the number of women whose bodies have been located in open spaces — roadsides, veld or behind buildings — in the Kempton Park and wider East Rand area since mid-July. Reports indicate several of the victims were partially clothed and bore bruising; police have said some had been sexually assaulted.
- 15 July – A 37-year-old woman found near the R21, unclothed and restrained with cable ties; her boyfriend was arrested and remains in custody.
- 24 August – A partially clothed 32-year-old woman found.
- 10 September – A badly decomposed, unclothed body found.
- Recent Saturday – Runner Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo was found after her eight-year-old daughter raised the alarm when she did not return from a run.
- Monday morning – A woman believed to be in her thirties found in a veld at Olifantsfontein by a man walking to work.
- Tuesday morning – Sixth body found on the side of a road in KwaThema, Springs; scene cordoned off.
The chronology above is drawn from police briefings and media reporting; investigations into each discovery are ongoing and police have not yet confirmed whether the deaths are the work of a single perpetrator or a number of assailants.
Investigation priorities and public safety
Mosikili said the combined tasking of specialist units demonstrates the national police's prioritisation of the matter. Forensic analysts and the K9 unit are reportedly at work to recover evidence that may link the scenes or produce DNA leads.
| Element | Current status |
|---|---|
| Crime scenes | Multiple cordoned locations in Kempton Park area and East Rand |
| Units deployed | Detectives, forensic teams, K9, tracing unit, metro police, crime intelligence |
| Immediate timeframe | 72-hour concentrated investigation as announced by police |
Local residents are anxious. People living and working around Kempton Park say they have noticed an increased police presence but want swift, visible disruption of any suspects at large. Those who run, work late shifts or travel on foot at night say they will be more cautious until police can provide reassurance.
What authorities have said — and what remains unanswered
Police have confirmed the arrest of the boyfriend of the 37-year-old woman found on 15 July; he remains in custody. For the remaining cases, police continue to gather forensic and intelligence leads. Officials have not yet publicly linked all the deaths to one suspect or network, and post-mortem results and forensic timelines are pending.
Investigators have appealed to anyone with information to come forward. Even small details — movements, licence plate numbers, CCTV, or sightings of suspicious activity — could prove vital to building a picture of the events that led to the deaths.
Community leaders and women's groups have called for stronger measures to protect women in public spaces and for victims' families to receive timely updates as investigations progress. The repeated discovery of women in open spaces has intensified calls for better street lighting, more patrols and urgent attention to gender-based violence prevention.
As detectives race to close leads within the stated 72-hour window, residents on the East Rand await clarity on whether the deaths are connected and when arrests might follow. The police have signalled determination; the community is looking for results.
Anyone with information that could assist police is urged to contact their local station or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
