Women Warned Not To Walk or Run Alone After Nine Bodies Found Near Kempton Park

Women in and around Kempton Park have been warned to avoid walking or running alone, particularly in isolated areas, after nine women were found dead across Ekurhuleni over roughly two months.

The warning came as police investigated disturbing similarities between the cases, with victims found naked or partially clothed and some showing bruising. Authorities have not confirmed that the deaths were carried out by a serial killer, but investigators are examining whether the cases are connected.

Police Warning Sparks Fear

The police warning has hit particularly hard among women who exercise outdoors, after one of the victims, 38-year-old Elizabeth 'Tsontso' Moselakgomo, disappeared during her regular run.

Police urged women in the affected areas to take extra care and avoid walking or running alone, especially in isolated locations, as detectives worked to establish whether the deaths were linked.

The cases span several parts of Ekurhuleni rather than a single crime scene, adding complexity to an investigation that has rapidly expanded.

Elizabeth Moselakgomo's Final Run

Moselakgomo's disappearance sparked a public search after she failed to return from her usual run.

Her body was later identified by relatives, turning the search for a missing runner into one of the cases now being examined by police. Her death has also prompted tributes from running communities, highlighting the fear now surrounding an activity many women considered routine.

Her case has become one of the most recognisable in the investigation because of the direct connection between the police warning and the circumstances of her disappearance.

Police Consider 'Copycat Crime'

Despite growing fears of a serial killer, police have stopped short of making that claim.

Police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said investigators were considering whether the deaths could involve a copycat crime, while stressing that there were no established links between the cases at that stage.

That distinction is crucial. Investigators are examining the similarities, but they have not established that one person or group is responsible for all the deaths.

Nine Deaths, One Growing Investigation

The first body was discovered in July, with further deaths recorded in August and September. Police subsequently reviewed cases from different areas as the number of women being investigated grew.

By 16 September, eight women had been included in the investigation. Several were found naked or partially clothed, while police noted similarities, including bruising on some victims.

Police also offered a R400,000 (£17,000) reward for information that could help produce a breakthrough. One suspect was detained in connection with the first case, but that arrest does not establish responsibility for the wider group of deaths.

Ninth Body Found in Ekurhuleni

The investigation took another grim turn on 17 September, when police announced the discovery of a ninth woman's body in Ekurhuleni.

The unidentified woman, believed to be around 30, was found near a construction site after a passer-by alerted police. She had an apparent stab wound to her side and an apparent cut to her throat, according to police reporting. Her official cause of death remained subject to forensic investigation.

Police said the ninth case would be added to the investigation into the other women's deaths, but stressed that they had not established whether it was connected to them.

Ramaphosa Demands Answers

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for the killings to be prioritised and vowed that 'no stone will be left unturned' as law enforcement works to establish what happened.

The investigation has intensified against the backdrop of South Africa's wider gender-based violence crisis, but for women in Ekurhuleni the warning is immediate and deeply personal.

For now, detectives are still trying to answer the question hanging over the case: what, if anything, connects the deaths of these women?