Johannesburg – Police investigating a string of killings in Ekurhuleni are now probing the deaths of seven women after confirming that a body found in a river near Tembisa Mall earlier this month has been added to the investigation.
Acting Gauteng police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said the woman’s body was discovered in the Clayville area of Olifantsfontein on 7 September.
“The body of a female in her late twenties was observed in the river in Clayville next to Tembisa Mall,” Kekana said.
He said investigators had returned to their respective stations after realising that more bodies were being discovered in the area.
“Therefore, this body will also then be included as part of those to be investigated by the whole team,” he said.
Kekana said the woman had been found with most of her clothing missing.
“She was naked but [only in her] underwear,” he said.
He declined to speculate about how the woman’s clothes came to be missing.
According to Kekana, pathologists found no visible wounds on the body. However, police will investigate whether her death is connected to the other cases forming part of the broader investigation.
The confirmation came as police also dealt with the discovery of another woman’s body in KwaThema, near Springs, on Tuesday.
Kekana said a preliminary examination of the KwaThema victim indicated that she may have been strangled.
“The lady seems to have been strangled first on the neck,” he said.
A full post-mortem examination was scheduled for Wednesday to establish the exact cause of death.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said police had not yet formally linked the KwaThema body to the other killings.
“For now, we are not linking this body with the others, but we are not ruling out the possibility that it can be linked,” Mathe said.
She appealed for additional assistance from the public and other stakeholders as investigators work to establish whether the cases are connected.
“We need as much hands as possible on the ground,” she said.
Neither of the two latest victims had been identified by Tuesday. Forensic investigators and health department pathologists are working to establish their identities.
Johannesburg – A sixth woman’s body has been discovered in KwaThema, near Springs on the East Rand, as police investigate whether her death could be linked to five other women whose bodies were found in and around Kempton Park since July.
The woman’s body was discovered on Tuesday morning, with police confirming that the scene had been cordoned off for investigation.
The body of a sixth woman has been discovered in Ekurhuleni—this time in Kwa-Thema, just 45 kilometres from Kempton Park, where the bodies of four other women were found. Another body was found in Olifantsfontein, about 25 kilometres away.
The string of deaths is raising fresh… pic.twitter.com/kbGoqcz0cK
— eNCA (@eNCA) September 15, 2026
According to IOL, Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said: “It is an active scene.”
The latest discovery comes a day after police confirmed that a fifth woman’s body had been found in Olifantsfontein, near Kempton Park. The developments have heightened concern in the area as investigators try to establish whether the deaths are connected.
Police have, however, cautioned against drawing conclusions about a possible serial killer or a common perpetrator before the investigations are complete. The South African Police Service said similarities between the earlier cases were concerning but had not confirmed that they were linked.
The Citizen reported that the latest discovery has widened the geographical area investigators may have to consider, while police have yet to establish whether the KwaThema death forms part of the same investigation. The newspaper also reported that detectives are investigating the alleged kidnapping of another woman in Kempton Park. She survived the incident and could potentially provide investigators with information if a connection is established.
The body of another woman has been discovered near a clinic in Kwa-Thema, Springs.
It is the sixth body of a woman to be found dead in Ekurhuleni over the past two months.
The victim’s naked body was discovered early this morning, suggesting she may have been dumped here. pic.twitter.com/t4NMIenoAX
— Jacaranda FM Newswatch (@JacaNewswatch) September 15, 2026
The development follows Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili’s disclosure that forensic investigations had established that most of the women whose bodies were found in Kempton Park had been sexually assaulted.
The first woman was found near the R21 on July 15, followed by another discovery on August 24. A third woman’s body was found on September 10, while missing runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo was found on September 14 in Olifantsfontein.
Police have since established a multidisciplinary task team involving detectives, forensic investigators, crime intelligence and other specialists to determine whether the cases are connected and identify those responsible.
The KwaThema discovery brings the number of women whose bodies have been found in the wider Ekurhuleni area to six, but investigators have not yet confirmed whether the cases involve one or more perpetrators.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, X and Instagram
Picture: Facebook/ SAPS
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
