The South African police today announced the arrest of three people in the case of the murders of women in the same east of Johannesburg, crimes that already account for 10 deaths and that caused a wave of commotion in the country.
© Reuters
21/09/2026
by
Lusa
A discovery of nine bodies in Kempton Park within two months fueled fear and anger, while authorities investigate to determine whether one or more serial killers are responsible.
Meanwhile, police announced that another woman was found dead on Sunday in Soweto, south of Johannesburg, near a dam, with her body wrapped in a sleeping bag.
According to the police, one man and two women were arrested during the weekend for being related to the murder of Jabulile Ntimba, whose body was found on September 17, the ninth in the series of female homicides.
Like most of these cases, the victim's body was found on the side of the road, partially undressed.
Police deputy chief Tebello Mosikili said “indictments that his murder may be related to a case of a sentimental nature, namely what was described as a possible love triangle.”.
Gender violence is endemic in South Africa, despite years of government promises to tackle the problem.
The South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, today reiterated the police's promise that those responsible for the murders would be brought to justice.
“We will spare no effort to locate these authors,” he told journalists, promising additional measures to combat violence against women.
The President also promised to allocate “more money, more resources, more technology” to enhance women’s safety.
The arrests announced today amount to four people arrested by the police in the case of this wave of female homicides.
“Let’s not rush these investigations just to proceed to arrests. We owe it to the victims, we owe it to their families and we owe it to justice: this must be done well,” Mosikili said.
Police also indicated that two alleged serial rapists will appear before the court in KwaZulu-Natal Province.
A 46-year-old man was associated, through DNA analysis, with 16 rape cases in Durban, while a 36-year-old man was associated with at least 14 cases in two provinces.
South Africa has an average homicide rate of more than 60 per day, one of the highest in the world.