The South African Police Service SAPS has launched an intensive investigation following the harrowing discovery of four women found dead over a two-month period in Kempton Park, Gauteng.
The grim sequence of discoveries, which began in mid-July and extended into mid-September 2026, has sent shockwaves through the local community and sparked serious concerns over a potential serial predator operating in the area.
The first tragedy came to light on 15 July 2026, when the body of a 37-year-old woman was discovered naked and bound with cable ties in an open veld near the R21 highway.
While a foreign national suspect—identified as the victim’s boyfriend—was swiftly arrested on 17 July and remains in custody, subsequent discoveries have complicated the investigation.
On 24 August 2026, the partially clothed body of a 32-year-old woman with visible bruising was found in the same vicinity along the R21.
Less than three weeks later, on 10 September 2026, a third unidentified woman was found naked in an advanced state of decomposition.
The horror escalated on Saturday, 12 September 2026, when a fourth body was found hidden in a thicket behind a hotel in Rhodesfield.
The victim was wearing sports attire and was found partially clothed with severe physical trauma.
This final discovery directly overlapped with a high-profile community search for Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, a 38-year-old local runner and member of the Run With Sole club, who disappeared after leaving for an afternoon jog on 10 September.
Authorities and family spokespersons have noted that due to the extensive facial injuries sustained by the fourth victim, formal mortuary identification processes are required to confirm if the body is indeed Moselakgomo.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that while it is too early to definitively declare the work of a single serial killer, the situational similarities are deeply concerning.
All the victims were discovered half-naked or entirely unclothed, bore severe bruising, and were left within the same geographical radius near major thoroughfares.
In response, Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane has ordered the immediate establishment of a specialized multidisciplinary task team.
Led by Gauteng Deputy Provincial Commissioner Major General Mbuso Khumalo, the team integrates the Murder and Robbery Unit alongside the Investigative Psychology Unit to analyze behavioral patterns and map out the crime scenes.
Compounding the community’s terror, news emerged on Monday morning, 14 September 2026, that a fifth partially clothed woman’s body was discovered by a passerby in nearby Olifantsfontein, just 20 minutes from the Kempton Park scenes.
As fear grips the East Rand, SAPS has issued a stern warning to women and girls in Kempton Park and the Rhodesfield area.
Residents are strongly urged to exercise extreme caution, avoid walking or jogging alone, stick to well-lit public spaces, and ensure they exercise in groups.
Local political and community leaders are calling for urgent municipal safety assessments, demanding improved visible policing and better lighting in public spaces to combat the surging threat of gender-based violence.
