Story perspectives

Police Investigate Tenth Body, Arrests Linked to Serial Killings

By Drooid · Sep 27, 2026, 6:02 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Police Discover Tenth Victim

Police discovered a tenth woman's body in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, prompting serial-killer concerns.
All victims were women in their 20s or 30s, found clothed near major roads.
Investigative Psychology Unit was deployed to examine behavioral links among the killings.
Two women and a man were arrested and charged for the ninth murder.
Gender-Based Violence Command Centre logged 6,782 calls Sep 1-16 (424 daily) while offering 400,000 rand $31,000 for tips.

Summary

Ramaphosa Deploys Soldiers

Police linked the Wedela tavern shooting to a turf war among illegal miners (zama zamas).
Investigators said the Lwandle attack may stem from jealousy over cheaper alcohol sales.
President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed soldiers in March for a year-long anti-crime operation in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Crime expert Yusuf Abramjee warned mass shootings reveal broader illegal-firearms networks and could affect November municipal elections.

History

Historical Context

The 1994 universal election ended apartheid but homicide rates rose, with South Africa leading world murder rates in 1995 and 1998 and an estimated 1,500 white farmers killed since 1991. Post-apartheid instability also spurred about 800,000 white emigrants by 2008 and the 2012 Marikana massacre of 34 miners. Today, an Ekurhuleni shooting of a woman and rising gender-based violence echo these enduring security challenges.

1 of 3

Police Discover Tenth Victim

Police discovered a tenth woman's body in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, prompting serial-killer concerns.
All victims were women in their 20s or 30s, found clothed near major roads.
Investigative Psychology Unit was deployed to examine behavioral links among the killings.
Two women and a man were arrested and charged for the ninth murder.
Gender-Based Violence Command Centre logged 6,782 calls Sep 1-16 (424 daily) while offering 400,000 rand $31,000 for tips.

1 / 3