Sixth woman’s body found in Ekurhuleni as fear grows among residents

Fear is deepening among women in Ekurhuleni after the body of another woman was found in Kwa-Thema, Springs, earlier today, bringing to six the number of women whose bodies have been discovered across the municipality over about two months.

The latest body was found near the Blesbokspruit River as police continued investigating a series of deaths that have left communities around Kempton Park and surrounding areas increasingly anxious.

Police have not confirmed that the cases are connected but investigators are examining possible similarities between them.

For women living and working in the affected communities, the deaths have changed how they move through their neighbourhoods.

Siyamthanda Msomi, a Rhodesfield resident, said she had become increasingly frightened about travelling to work in the mornings and no longer felt comfortable walking or skating alone.

“It’s very nerve-wracking because it’s completely dangerous in this field,” she said.

Msomi said she tried to have someone accompany her to work because she feared for her life.

She had seen a police vehicle in the area but wanted officers to patrol more consistently.

“I feel like there should be more,” she said.

Msomi said the similarities reported between some of the deaths had heightened her fears and hinted at the possibility of a serial killer operating in the area.

However, police have not confirmed this.

Acting Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner Major-General Fred Kekana said on Sunday that it was too early to conclude that the deaths were connected or that they involved one perpetrator.

He said investigators had identified some similarities between the cases but were considering all possibilities, including whether multiple suspects were involved or whether the deaths were separate investigations.

Kekana said the investigation would be guided by evidence rather than speculation.

He said the SAPS had mobilised a multidisciplinary team to investigate the deaths. The team included detectives, forensic specialists, tracking teams, K9 Search and Rescue teams and specialists from the Investigative Psychology Unit. Investigators were examining individual dockets, evidence, timelines, locations, victim profiles and the circumstances surrounding each death to establish whether the cases were linked.

Msomi’s concerns are shared by DA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, who criticised calls for women to simply take additional precautions when walking or exercising.

Rasilingwane said the government had a responsibility to make communities safer and that residents should see visible policing in the areas where they lived and moved around.

“We need to see visible policing within our communities,” she said, calling for a more proactive response from the SAPS and City of Ekurhuleni.

Rasilingwane said she had driven from Daveyton and had not seen SAPS or EMPD vehicles in the area.

She described the response as reactionary and said women should not feel that staying indoors was their only option for remaining safe.

Her comments come as residents have raised concerns about police visibility after the discovery of the bodies.

The SAPS, however, says it has increased its operational presence in the affected areas.

At Monday’s briefing, Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili said police had joined forces with the EMPD to strengthen visibility and deployed additional resources to the investigation and community safety. Detectives, intelligence officers, forensic experts, tracking teams, search-and-rescue personnel and K9 units were among those involved.

Mosikili said police were analysing victim and suspect profiles and would not confirm a connection between the cases until the investigative and forensic processes had been completed.

She said 17 women had been reported missing in the Kempton Park area since January, with 13 located and reunited with their families. A woman who was reportedly kidnapped in Kempton Park on Sunday had also been found and reunited with her family.

Police also said four of the five women whose bodies were found around Kempton Park showed signs of sexual molestation. The fifth body was too badly decomposed for police to establish whether sexual assault had occurred. Police have not established a motive and have not confirmed that a single perpetrator is responsible.

Mosikili issued a warning to whoever may be responsible for the killings, saying police were following evidence and had the resources to identify those responsible.

“If you are responsible for taking these women’s lives, your freedom is temporary,” she said.

But Tuesday’s discovery in Kwa-Thema has added to the anxiety already felt by women in Ekurhuleni. While investigators work to determine whether the six deaths are connected, residents say they want to see the increased police presence promised by authorities.

For Msomi, the fear is immediate and personal. “I don’t like walking alone anymore,” she said. “It’s terrifying to me.”