Nine women found murdered in Ekurhuleni since July spark South Africa femicide outcry

September 19, 2026 at 04:04 AM2 min

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Nine women have been found murdered in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, since July, with three bodies discovered this week alone. Only one arrest has been made, two days after the first body was found on 15 July, and no one has been detained in the other eight killings. The discoveries have reignited a national outcry over gender-based violence in South Africa, which has one of the world's highest femicide rates.

Key Facts

Nine bodies of murdered women have been found in Ekurhuleni since July, including three discovered this week.
Dineo Motapane, a 38-year-old mother of two, was last seen on Sunday and her battered, partly burned body was found later in Ekurhuleni.
Itumeleng Kekana, a 32-year-old shopkeeper, was found dead in July, 17 days after she was last seen alive, with her body badly bruised and dumped on a bridge.
Only one arrest has been made in connection with the murders, two days after the first body was discovered on 15 July.
South Africa has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the world.

The Victims

Dineo Motapane, a 38-year-old mother of two, was last seen alive last Sunday. Her battered, partly burned body was found later in the residential region of Ekurhuleni. Itumeleng Kekana, a 32-year-old shopkeeper, disappeared in July and her body was found 17 days later, badly bruised, partially clothed and dumped on a bridge. Most of the victims were young, in their 20s or 30s, and almost all had suffered extreme violence before their deaths.

Investigation Status

Only one arrest has been made in connection with the murders, two days after the first body was discovered on 15 July. Nobody has been detained following the murders of Itumeleng Kekana, Dineo Motapane or the other six Ekurhuleni women. Police have said they are not sure if they are hunting a serial killer, and it is possible the cases are not linked.

National Outcry

The spate of grim discoveries has sparked a national outcry about the scale of violence against women in South Africa. South Africa has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the world. Nokwanda Matshikiza, aunt of Dineo Motapane, pleaded for action, asking how many more bodies will be found before something happens. Themba Kekana, brother of Itumeleng, said no family should have to deal with what his family is faced with.