Sixth woman’s body found on East Rand as police intensify probe into Kempton Park killings

Police in Gauteng have found a sixth woman’s body on the East Rand, discovered on the side of a road in KwaThema, Springs on Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Scene secured as investigation continues

Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed the discovery and said the area had been cordoned off.

“It is an active scene,”

The latest finding brings to six the number of women’s bodies discovered in and around Kempton Park since July.

Commonalities among victims

Police said all six women were found lying in the open on roadsides, in veld or behind buildings. The source said most were partially clothed and bruised. Authorities stated on Monday that four of the women had been sexually assaulted.

Details from earlier discoveries

The source lists previous recoveries and limited details provided by police:

• A 37-year-old woman was found near the R21 on July 15, unclothed and restrained with cable ties; her boyfriend was arrested and remains in custody.
• A partially clothed 32-year-old woman was found on August 24.
• Another woman’s body, described as unclothed and badly decomposed, was found on September 10.
• Runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo was found on Saturday; her eight-year-old daughter raised the alarm when she did not come home from a run after work.
• The fifth woman, believed to be in her thirties, was found in a veld at Olifantsfontein on Monday morning by a man walking to work.

Police briefings and the 72-hour investigation

Deputy national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili briefed reporters at Kempton Park police station on Monday night alongside acting Gauteng commissioner Major-General Fred Kekana and Ekurhuleni metro police chief Isaac Mapiyeye. Mosikili said a 72-hour investigation was under way, with detectives, forensic investigators, the K9 unit, the tracing unit, metro police and crime intelligence chasing leads.

“Your days are numbered. This is not a threat, it’s a fact,”

Mosikili said police hoped to close leads by the end of the week.

What remains clear

Authorities have repeatedly described the scenes where the women were found and are continuing forensic and intelligence work as part of the concentrated probe into the string of deaths in and around Kempton Park.