Deaths of eight women in South Africa spark fear and anger

A forensic officer at the scene where a sixth body was found in KwaThema, Springs (STR/AP)

The bodies of eight women have been discovered by South African police in the Kempton Park area, east of Johannesburg, in the last two months.

The discoveries have sent shockwaves around the country, sparked a high-level investigation and highlighted the scourge of femicide and high levels of violent crime.

Gauteng provincial commissioner Fred Kekana said police were examining whether the cases were linked, but warned against prematurely describing the deaths as the work of one perpetrator or a serial killer.

“Investigators are considering all possibilities, including the possibility of multiple suspects or separate perpetrators,” he said.

“Police are comparing the evidence, timelines, locations, victim profiles and circumstances of each case before reaching conclusions.”

He said the similarities and proximity of the locations where they were found was concerning.

Some of the bodies discovered more recently were in Olifantsfontein and KwaThema areas, respectively about 15 miles and 21 miles from Kempton Park, where the first five bodies were discovered.

“The similarities are sufficiently concerning for the police to issue a public warning and intensify investigations,” Mr Kekana said.

By Wednesday, police said there were a total of eight victims. All were women between the ages of 20 and 38, and all were found either naked or partially clothed with bruises on their bodies, according to the police.

The first body was discovered on 17 July, naked and restrained with cable ties. A man believed to have been the victim’s boyfriend was arrested and remains in custody, police said.

One of the victims was identified as Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, 38, a runner, who went missing last week.

She was reported missing after her eight-year-old daughter alerted family that she had not returned from her daily afternoon jog, and was found dead several days later.

The body recovered in Olifantsfontein on Tuesday was found naked and in an advanced stage of decomposition.

The youngest victim has been identified as a 20-year-old woman.

The deaths have highlighted high rates of femicide and violent crime in the country and sparked an outcry over the safety of women.

Between April and July this year, the country recorded 5,427 murders, which is an average of about 45 per day, according to the latest crime statistics.

Femicide rates in South Africa are among the highest in the world, according to the United Nations’ agency for gender equality.

A study in 2022 by a South African think tank found that more than 35% of South African adult women had experienced physical or sexual violence at some point.

Police have offered a cash reward for any information related to the murders.