Mother’s anxiety over missing daughter heightens as bodies pile up in East Rand

Catherine Nhaki, 59, is living through an agonising wait for the safe return of her 35-year-old daughter, Faith, who has been missing since Friday.

Her fears have intensified after the number of women’s bodies discovered in the area rose to eight, according to Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, who confirmed the figure on Tuesday evening.

Nhaki, from KwaThema, went to the scene on Tuesday morning after hearing that a woman’s body had been found dumped near a church. She feared the worst and hoped the deceased was not her daughter.

“I have been sending her WhatsApp messages, but she has not responded, and when I call, it rings unanswered. So, when I heard that a body was discovered, I called her, but nobody answered. I thought I must come to see if it was her or not,” said Nhaki.

READ: Seven women’s bodies confirmed found in Gauteng, as police widen probe

Faith is a mother of four, and her children are also waiting anxiously for their sibling to return home.

“You never rest knowing that your own child is not home, and with everything that is currently happening, you pray every day that she is not one of the bodies that were found,” Nhaki said.

Frustrated, concerned and confused

She said even though Faith would go to places of entertainment over weekends, she would return home on Mondays and always answers her phone, but this time her absence has left the family deeply concerned.

“All her friends said they do not know where she is. They just said she left with a man who was driving a red car. How many people drive red cars?” Nhaki asked.

“I am frustrated and confused, but I had to come here to at least confirm if it is her or not. When the police said the body of this woman is in her 30s, I was taken aback because what if it’s her? We will have to go to the mortuary to check.”

Despite her fears, Nhaki said she was trying not to think about the worst-case scenario and continued to hope that her daughter would return home safely.

Women’s deaths under investigation in Ekurhuleni

The disappearance of Faith comes amid an ongoing police investigation into the deaths of women whose bodies have been discovered in parts of Ekurhuleni and surrounding areas over the past three months.

According to police, eight women’s bodies have now been discovered as part of the broader investigation, with cases reported in areas including Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, Clayville and KwaThema.

The first case was reported on July 15, when the body of a 37-year-old woman was found near the R21 in the Kempton Park area. Other bodies were subsequently discovered in Kempton Park, with another woman’s body found in Olifantsfontein and a further body recovered from a river in Clayville, near the Mall of Tembisa.

One of the victims was identified as Elizabeth ‘Tsontso’ Moselakgomo, who had reportedly left home to go for a run and did not return. Her family later positively identified her body at a mortuary.

READ: Body of missing runner Elizabeth Tsontso Moselakgomo positively identified

Police caution against speculation

Police have cautioned against speculation, saying investigators are still examining the evidence, circumstances and profiles of the victims to determine whether the cases are connected. A multidisciplinary team involving detectives, forensic specialists, tracking resources, K9 units and investigative psychologists has been assembled to investigate the deaths.

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