Keypoints:
- Police investigate seven women’s deaths
- Ramaphosa orders cases prioritised
- Femicide rate is five times global average
SOUTH Africa has been shaken by police confirmation that seven women’s bodies have been discovered in and around Ekurhuleni over the past two months, intensifying concern over a possible pattern of killings and whether the deaths are connected.
The immediate question is who is behind the deaths. The bigger one is why women remain so exposed despite years of legislation, national strategies and political promises aimed at confronting one of South Africa’s most persistent social crises.
Police probe possible links
The sixth woman’s body was discovered in Kwa-Thema, east of Johannesburg, on Tuesday. Later that day, Gauteng police confirmed that another woman whose body had been found in Clayville, Tembisa, on September 7 was being included in the specialised investigation, bringing the number of cases under scrutiny to seven.
The updated figure clarifies earlier reports that had placed the number at six.
According to the Associated Press and South African media reports, police are examining similarities between the deaths but have not established that all seven cases are linked or that a single perpetrator is responsible.
SAPS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said the similarities were sufficiently concerning for police to intensify their investigations and urge women to remain vigilant, particularly when jogging or moving alone in affected areas.
Among the victims was 38-year-old Elizabeth ‘Tsontso’ Moselakgomo, who disappeared while jogging near Kempton Park before her body was later found. Her disappearance had triggered a search involving police and members of the community.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said he had directed police to prioritise the investigations, warning that the killings were causing ‘fear and uncertainty’ in communities.
He said investigators should leave ‘no stone unturned’ in bringing those responsible to justice.
Femicide crisis remains severe
The cases have again placed South Africa’s gender-based violence and femicide crisis under intense scrutiny.
South Africa formally classified gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster in November 2025, creating a framework intended to improve coordination and accelerate the mobilisation of government resources.
But the scale of the violence remains severe.
Parliament said in February 2026 that South Africa’s femicide rate stood at nine per 100,000 women — about five times the global average. It also cited figures showing that 957 women were murdered between July and September 2024.
A national gender-based violence prevalence study conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council found that approximately 7.3m adult women have experienced physical violence during their lifetime, while more than 2.15m have experienced sexual violence.
More recent government figures reinforce the scale of the challenge. During the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, SAPS recorded 50,511 gender-based violence and femicide cases, with 30,736 resulting in arrests or referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority.
The statistics underline the gulf between South Africa’s extensive policy framework and the reality confronting women in their homes, workplaces, streets and public spaces.
Africa Briefing has previously examined the less visible dimensions of the crisis, including financial abuse and control within relationships, alongside wider demands for stronger protection of women across the continent.
Safety failures face scrutiny
The Commission for Gender Equality has called for urgent safety audits in areas affected by the deaths.
The commission wants authorities to examine street lighting, surveillance, pedestrian routes, transport corridors, neglected spaces, police visibility and access to emergency assistance.
Its intervention shifts part of the debate away from what happens after a woman is killed and towards whether dangerous environments can be identified and made safer before another death occurs.
Women’s mobility has already emerged as a significant part of the safety debate in South Africa.
Africa Briefing previously reported on Uber introducing women-only driver option in South Africa, reflecting broader concerns over women’s security while travelling.
National promises face a hard test
South Africa has built an extensive institutional response to gender-based violence, including a national strategic plan and the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.
But declarations, institutions and strategies ultimately face a simple test: whether women are actually safer.
The investigation into the seven deaths therefore carries significance beyond establishing whether the cases are connected.
Police have not established that a single perpetrator is responsible, and investigators are still determining whether the similarities between the deaths amount to evidence of a common offender or merely reflect separate crimes.
Whatever the investigation ultimately establishes, the deaths have reopened a much larger national wound.
A country that has formally classified gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster is again confronting the most basic measure of that declaration: whether women can exercise, work, travel and move through their communities without fearing that they may not return home.
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