South African police have issued a rare public safety warning for the East Rand, the region just east of Johannesburg, after a seventh woman's body was found in the area in roughly two months. The latest discovery, on a Tuesday in the Kwa-Thema township about 34km from Kempton Park, prompted the South African Police Service to acknowledge the cases may be connected, though investigators have stopped short of confirming a serial killer is at work.
The timeline is grim. On the Monday before, a body was found in Olifantsfontein. Days earlier, 38-year-old Elizabeth 'Tsontso' Moselakgomo, who had gone missing while out jogging in Kempton Park, was found half-naked after a community and police search. The Kwa-Thema victim was discovered in an advanced state of decomposition. Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said that while no link to a serial killer has been confirmed, the similarities between the cases were concerning enough to justify a public warning and a beefed-up investigation. President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed police to prioritise the cases.
The warning shines a light on a much broader problem. South Africa recorded 5,427 murders between April and July, an average of 45 a day, according to national crime statistics. Femicide rates are among the highest in the world, per the UN's gender equality agency, and a 2022 study found more than a third of adult South African women have experienced physical or sexual violence.
The Commission for Gender Equality has called for urgent preventive measures, including a safety audit of the affected areas covering street lighting, surveillance, pedestrian routes, public transport, neglected spaces and police visibility. 'Women should not have to be killed before an area receives heightened attention,' commission spokesperson Javu Baloyi said.
Why should travellers care? Kempton Park sits directly next to OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa's busiest air hub and the arrival point for most international visitors to Johannesburg. Many travellers pass through or stay in the area, and jogging or walking alone, especially for women, is now explicitly flagged as risky there by police. Even if you're just transiting through Joburg on the way to a safari or the Cape, it's worth reviewing basic precautions: avoid running or walking alone, use ride-hailing services rather than walking unfamiliar streets, check current local safety advice before arrival, and keep emergency numbers handy. South Africa's police emergency number is 10111.