Suspicion of a 'serial killer' after the discovery of the 10th consecutive female body in a South African city.

The bodies of ten women have been found in the Ekurhuleni region, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, since July 15, 2026, with the tenth body discovered near the Mooifontein Cemetery in Tembisa South on Saturday, September 26. The South African police have not yet officially stated whether a serial killer is active in connection with these murders, and authorities say that while a similar pattern exists among some of the deaths, it cannot be concluded that all incidents were committed by the same person.

Police teams investigating this matter state that since separate suspects have already been identified for some of the incidents, it is still premature to directly declare it a serial killing.

The body of the tenth woman, found near the cemetery in the Vusimusi area of Tembisa South on the morning of Saturday, September 26, was partially naked, and a friend, who identified her by her clothes, revealed that she had been at a local tavern the previous night. Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni visited the scene and stated that it is believed she was stoned to death, and the cause of death would be confirmed by a post-mortem examination. The Commissioner said that while the presence of a serial killer cannot be entirely ruled out, there is still not enough evidence to confirm it, and added that an experienced investigative team is conducting daily inquiries and a police reward of R400,000 is still available for information.

All ten bodies found since mid-July have been reported from areas around OR Tambo International Airport and the R21 highway corridor in the Ekurhuleni region. In addition to Kempton Park, Rhodesfield, and Pomona, where the first five bodies were found, Olifantsfontein, Kwa-Thema, Dawn Park, and Tembisa South, where the last body was found, are among these locations. These locations are situated between 15 and 35 kilometers apart from each other, and belong to Johannesburg's main transport and industrial zone.

Looking at the timeline of events, on July 15, Busisiwe Mhlanga's body was first found naked and tied up, and her partner was arrested two days later. On August 3, Itumeleng Kekana's body was found in Pomona, and on August 26, Nomfessane Mjojo's body was found. In September, these killings accelerated, with the body of an unidentified woman found on September 7, Gracious Nkomo's body on September 10, and the body of 38-year-old Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo, who disappeared after going for exercise, found on the afternoon of September 12. Subsequently, another woman's body was found on September 14, Dineo Evelyn Motapane's body on September 15, and Jabulile Ntimba's body on September 17. The murder of Jabulile Ntimba, the ninth body, is considered a separate incident based on a love affair, and two women have been arrested in connection with it.

Most of the deceased women were Black women between the ages of 20 and 30, and their bodies were found partially naked, mutilated, or tied up, and left in open fields, by roadsides, or in cemeteries. Some women disappeared while traveling alone, and experts suspect that someone posing as a taxi driver may have abducted them. Against a backdrop of widespread gender-based violence in South Africa, this wave of murders has caused great fear and concern among local residents.