Nine women found dead in South Africa’s Ekurhuleni as pressure grows over femicide response

The discovery of the bodies of nine women in South Africa’s Ekurhuleni municipality over roughly two months has intensified concern about femicide and the protection available to women facing violence.

The latest victim was found on Thursday morning in Dawn Park, a residential area of Boksburg, east of Johannesburg. The woman, believed to be in her thirties, was found half-naked and wrapped in a sheet. Her identity has not been reported.

Police are investigating the deaths but say they have not established links between the nine cases. South African Police Service spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said detectives were examining whether the killings could involve one perpetrator, a group of men, multiple perpetrators or copycat crimes.

“We are still investigating whether we are dealing with one perpetrator or a group of men that are behind the murders of these women,” Mathe said. She added that the inquiry was complex and should not be rushed.

Family raises alarm after runner disappears

Among the women was Elizabeth Moselakgomo, a 38-year-old mother and runner. She left home at about 5:30pm on September 9 for her usual run and was found dead three days later.

Moselakgomo’s eight-year-old daughter alerted other family members when her mother did not return. Nokukhanya Khanyile-Lenake, a specialist paediatrician and mental health advocate, said the child recognised the danger signs and took appropriate action, but that it was still not enough to prevent the death.

Following the killings, police advised women not to walk or run alone and to avoid isolated areas. Princess Eurika Mogane, a commissioner at South Africa’s Commission for Gender Equality, criticised the guidance, saying it placed the burden on women to change their behaviour rather than on authorities to protect them.

“A lot of the women in South Africa right now are saying, ‘You are basically telling us to adjust our lives to perpetrators,’” Mogane said.

Shelters report rising demand

The National Shelter Movement of South Africa said its 24-hour helpline and affiliated shelters were receiving women reporting increasingly severe abuse. The organisation cited death threats, stalking, strangulation, coercive control and repeated breaches of protection orders.

It said shelters were dealing with inadequate and inconsistent funding, growing demand and limited capacity. Survivors have also reported delays in police responses and difficulties obtaining or enforcing protection orders, according to the movement.

The organisation described the incidents as part of a wider crisis in which violence against women has become deeply normalised in some communities. It said safety advice should not suggest that women can prevent violence simply by making different personal choices.

Mogane described the situation as “a war” in which women appeared to be hunted. She called for stronger protection, arguing that authorities must focus on safeguarding potential victims rather than limiting their movements.

Questions over government action

South Africa’s Parliament has said the country’s femicide rate is five times the global average. The government classified gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster in November 2025.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged that perpetrators will face justice, while authorities say police patrols and deployments have been increased in high-risk areas. However, the available information does not establish whether those measures have reduced violence.

Mogane questioned the progress made since the national disaster classification. The National Shelter Movement said women leaving abusive relationships may need police protection, emergency accommodation, transport, healthcare, childcare and financial assistance at the same time.

The South African government had not responded to questions about the killings and its wider response by the time of publication.