Watch — Ekurhuleni murders: What we know about the killings of 12 women

At least 12 women have been reported murdered in Ekurhuleni since July 2026, prompting speculation that a serial killer may be operating in Gauteng. Police have set up a task team to investigate possible links between several cases, but have not confirmed whether any are connected. Daily Maverick journalist Reitumetse Pilane sets out what is known so far: the similarities between the cases, the arrests and evidence that suggest some are unrelated, and what forensic experts say about how investigators approach a possible series of crimes.

Reporting by: Reitumetse Pilane
Filmed by: Malibongwe Tyilo
Edited by: Anda Tolibadi
Produced by: Emilie Gambade
Creative input by: Malibongwe Tyilo
Sub-edited by: Ian Wolstenholme

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If you’ve been following the news out of Ekurhuleni, you’ve probably seen the headlines about a string of murders of women, and speculation that a serial killer may be operating in Gauteng.

Similarities have led police to investigate a number of these cases together. But they haven’t been able to confirm whether one person, or a group of people, is responsible, or whether the cases are connected at all.

So here’s what we do know.

Since July, at least 12 women have been reported murdered in Ekurhuleni. The latest was 23-year-old Boitumelo Nhlanzi. She was killed in Tembisa in the early hours of Monday, 28 September, while on her way to work.

Police identified her estranged husband as a person of interest that day. That evening, he was found dead in a vehicle in the Midrand policing area.

Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said: “It is believed that he may have ingested an unknown substance, as no foul play is suspected at this stage.” A post-mortem will determine the cause of death.

Nhlanzi’s murder isn’t part of the task team investigation into the earlier cases. This already shows why these cases are so difficult to group together.

The SAPS task team is investigating 12 femicides that took place between July and September 2026. Police point to similarities among the victims and in the circumstances in which some bodies were found. But they have cautioned against concluding that a serial killer is operating in Gauteng.

Ten of the victims identified by the SAPS so far were Black women, mostly in their 20s and 30s. Most cases are clustered around Kempton Park, Clayville and Tembisa, and five victims were found near the R21 highway.

All were found in secluded or open spaces: open veld, roadsides, near waterways. Most were partially or completely naked, and several had visible injuries. Six bodies were discovered within just 10 days in September.

So far, no eyewitnesses have been publicly identified in any of the cases.

But this is where it gets complicated. Strong evidence suggests that a number of these cases are unconnected.

In some, including Nhlanzi’s, there are known connections between victims and suspects. Busisiwe Mahlangu’s partner was arrested two days after her body was found. Three people were arrested for Jabulile Ntimba’s murder. Deputy National Police Commissioner Tebello Mosikili said investigators believe that killing may have stemmed from a relationship-related matter, including a possible “love triangle”.

The causes of death vary, and several are still unconfirmed. Some victims were stabbed multiple times. One appeared to have been strangled, and preliminary findings suggest another may have been stoned. Nhlanzi was shot.

The disappearances differ too. Some women were killed shortly before they were found. Vutomi Mathebula had been missing for nearly six months. According to her family’s spokesperson, people claiming to have abducted her demanded a ransom. Her body was found in Olifantsfontein on 14 September.

Still, differences don’t automatically rule out a serial offender. A forensic specialist, who spoke to me anonymously because of her work with the SAPS, said serial offenders can change their methods. But South Africa’s very high rates of violent crime also mean that cases in the same area could plausibly be unrelated.

Former SAPS profiler Gérard Labuschagne has argued that the cases should be treated as serial until evidence shows otherwise. He points to how close together they are, their timing and the similarities between the victims.

That is why authorities have been careful with the phrase “serial killer”. Twelve women murdered in the same area doesn’t necessarily mean that all 12 deaths form one series. We simply don’t know that yet.

Arrests have been made in only a handful of cases. So it’s still unclear whether one or more perpetrators are responsible for multiple murders, or whether the cases are unrelated. The questions remain unanswered, while the death toll continues to rise. DM