South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered police to prioritize an investigation into the deaths of eight women found across Gauteng province. The authorities said several victims had been sexually assaulted and that possible links between the cases were being investigated.

The bodies were discovered between July and September across the Ekurhuleni metropolitan area, east and northeast of Johannesburg, including Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, Rhodesfield and KwaThema. The South African Police Service said on Monday that four of the first five victims had been sexually assaulted. The condition of another body prevented investigators from determining whether she had suffered sexual violence.

Among the victims was recreational runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, 38, who disappeared after leaving home for a run on September 9. Her body was found near the R21 highway three days later and identified by her family on Monday.

The authorities have not confirmed that the deaths are linked or that a serial killer is responsible. One suspect has been arrested in connection with the first killing, recorded in July. A multidisciplinary team of detectives, intelligence officers, tracking units and forensic specialists has been deployed. The authorities have offered a reward of 400,000 rand (around $24,500) for information leading to an arrest.

Police initially said seven deaths were under investigation but raised the figure to eight during a briefing on Tuesday evening after adding an earlier Olifantsfontein case. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said officers would “lock down” Kempton Park and surrounding areas by expanding patrols under Operation Shanela.

President Ramaphosa described the killings as “terrible events” that were causing fear, particularly among women, and vowed to bring those responsible to justice. “I have directed that these cases be prioritized and that no stone be left unturned in bringing those responsible to justice,” he said, urging residents to provide information that could help stop further attacks. Deputy National Police Commissioner Tebello Mosikili warned those responsible that their “freedom is temporary.”

The case adds to a series of high-profile crimes against women in South Africa. In 2022, the bodies of six women were discovered at a Johannesburg panel-beating workshop. South African serial killer and rapist Sifiso Mkhwanazi was convicted of the crimes and sentenced in 2024 to six life terms and an additional 170 years in prison.

South Africa classified gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster in November 2025. A 2022 Human Sciences Research Council study found that 35.5% of South African women aged 18 and older – approximately 7.85 million – had experienced physical or sexual violence during their lifetime. The South African Medical Research Council reported in 2024 that intimate partners were responsible for 60.1% of women murdered in 2020-2021. However, fewer than one in five such femicide cases result in a conviction.