Kempton Park, Gauteng: What began as a single death investigation near the R21 on 15 July has broadened into a deeply unsettling inquiry across Kempton Park and its surroundings.
A 37-year-old woman was found dead in July, and a suspect was arrested two days later. In the weeks that followed, three more women were found dead around the R21 and Rhodesfield area. Police confirmed on Monday morning that a fifth woman’s body had been found in Olifantsfontein.
One suspect remains in custody in the first case, but detectives say it is too early to determine whether the deaths are connected or attributable to a single person.
The central question is now the timeline: when did each woman die, and how do those dates relate to the arrest in July?
The first woman was found near the R21 on 15 July. Police said she was 37 years old, naked and restrained with cable ties. A suspect was arrested on 17 July.
Acting Gauteng Police Commissioner Major General Fred Kekana told a media briefing on Sunday that the suspect remained in custody. However, the discovery of bodies continued.
On 24 August, a 32-year-old woman was found near the R21, partially clothed. Police have released limited information about her injuries, cause of death or whether evidence links her case to the July death.
Then, in September, two more bodies were discovered.
On 10 September, the body of an unidentified woman was recovered from a spruit near Voortrekker Road and the R21 crossing. Early reporting from the scene said she was naked and had no visible injuries. Later, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said the body was in an advanced state of decomposition, underscoring why the date a body is discovered cannot simply be treated as the date of death.
Two days later, on 12 September, the body of a 38-year-old woman was found behind a hotel in Rhodesfield. She was partially clothed and wearing sports clothing. Her identity had not been formally confirmed at the time of the briefing.
The case overlapped with the disappearance of 38-year-old Elizabeth Tsontso Moselakgomo, who left for a routine run and did not return.
According to information released by police, Moselakgomo’s eight-year-old daughter contacted family members when her mother failed to return home. Relatives then reported her missing. Police checked hospitals and mortuaries and appealed to the public for assistance.
Similarities between her disappearance and the discovery of the fourth body prompted intense public speculation. However, speculation is not identification. Until formal identification is completed and announced by police or the family, the woman found on 12 September should not be reported as Moselakgomo.
By the weekend, SAPS had acknowledged what it described as concerning similarities in circumstances across the first four deaths, including women being found partially clothed, with bruising and in the same general vicinity.
Police said the similarities were concerning enough to intensify investigations and examine all possible links, but stopped short of labelling the deaths the work of a serial killer.
The formation of a task team, including the investigative psychology unit, has further heightened public concern.
Kekana has emphasised that detectives are examining each docket, timeline and victim profile carefully.
The fifth body, confirmed in Olifantsfontein on 14 September, adds another death and another point to the timeline.
The chronology stands out: a suspect was arrested in July, followed by the discovery of bodies in August and September. On the surface, that sequence raises an obvious question: if the July suspect has remained in custody, what explains the later discoveries?
That question cannot yet be answered.
What continued after the arrest were the discoveries of bodies, not necessarily the deaths themselves. Police have not publicly established that all five women died after mid-July.
The advanced decomposition of at least one of the bodies is a reminder of the importance of forensic timelines. Post-mortem findings and precise custody records will be crucial to understanding the apparent sequence.
Geography also features prominently. The R21 and Rhodesfield areas recur throughout the investigation, but it remains uncertain whether the women were killed where they were found.
If one or more of the locations turn out to have been disposal sites, evidence such as CCTV footage, vehicle traces and cellphone data could become critical. The women’s movements and connections may also form part of the investigation, although police have not publicly disclosed such links.
As concern spreads, SAPS has advised women not to walk or exercise alone in isolated areas.
Chikunga responded by stressing that women have the right to occupy public spaces, exercise and return home safely. She called for visible policing, better lighting and infrastructure, faster response mechanisms, and stronger coordination between police, municipalities and communities.
Kekana has called for restraint, saying the investigation is at a sensitive stage and urging the community and media to avoid speculation.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said investigators were actively following leads and that a breakthrough could come soon.
For now, Kempton Park remains unsettled. Residents are adjusting their routines while families wait for identifications and answers.
The facts on record are clear: one suspect is in custody in one case, five women have been found dead, and specialist investigators are examining possible links.
Whether the deaths form a single chain of events or several separate tragedies has not yet been established.
