Nine women found in Ekurhuleni as OUTA urges coordinated action between business, civil society and government

Bodies recovered across northern Ekurhuleni prompt call for earlier coordinated intervention

Nine women’s bodies were recovered in Ekurhuleni between 15 July and 17 September, with six found during an 11‑day span in September, prompting the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) to warn that business and civil society must work more closely with government before problems reach crisis point.

Where the bodies were found

The recoveries were concentrated in the northern part of Ekurhuleni. Five bodies were found in Kempton Park, two in Olifantsfontein, one in Kwa‑Thema and one in Dawn Park. Several of the bodies were found in open areas or alongside roads, and some of the women were naked or partially clothed.

Police have not established that the deaths are linked. A multidisciplinary team of detectives, forensic experts and other specialists has been tasked with investigating the cases.

OUTA’s warning

OUTA chief executive Wayne Duvenage said the discoveries reflect a broader problem in South Africa where action often follows catastrophe rather than preventing failures from becoming crises. In his newsletter he said:

“Residents have long complained about overgrown grass, broken streetlights, neglected public spaces and other basic municipal failures. Now, after women have died and the country is watching, these conditions are suddenly receiving attention.”

Duvenage argued that business and civil society have strengths that could be brought to bear alongside government to address problems earlier, rather than allowing issues to escalate.

Municipal finances under strain

The call comes amid evidence of mounting municipal financial pressure. The Development Bank of Southern Africa’s audited statements show its exposure to high‑risk municipal development loans rose from R6.177 billion in 2025 to R16.127 billion at the end of March. The entire R16.127 billion was classified as Stage 2, defined by DBSA as loans that have experienced a significant increase in credit risk.

DBSA’s provision against those high‑risk loans more than doubled from R549.8 million to R1.2 billion, while their net carrying value increased from R5.6 billion to R14.9 billion. In a statement, DBSA warned that

“municipal credit risk remains elevated, as municipalities continue to face significant financial distress, with issues such as financial mismanagement, poor audit outcomes, infrastructure vandalism, poor service delivery, and budgetary constraints remaining prevalent”.

National picture of arrears and unpaid creditors

National Treasury figures cited in the DBSA reporting show municipalities owed creditors R160.8 billion at the end of December 2025. Of that total, R135.9 billion (84.5%) had been outstanding for more than 90 days. Bulk electricity accounted for R87.9 billion of the amount owed, trade creditors R35.5 billion and bulk water R27.3 billion.

Treasury noted that the rise in outstanding creditors could indicate liquidity and cash‑flow problems, with municipalities failing to settle debts within the required 30 days. Municipal consumer debts reached R467.2 billion at the end of December, of which R406.8 billion had been outstanding for more than 90 days. Households accounted for R335.3 billion, businesses R94.7 billion and organs of state R27.6 billion.

DBSA activity and OUTA’s central point

Alongside the warnings, DBSA reported that it unlocked R3.5 billion in infrastructure for under‑resourced municipalities during the year and that its total development loan and equity disbursements increased to R20.7 billion from R17.5 billion.

OUTA’s central argument is that the resources and influence of business, and the litigation and accountability mechanisms of civil society, should be deployed earlier and more effectively with government to prevent problems including failing municipal services and the social harms that can follow from becoming more difficult and expensive to fix.