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South Africa's Ramaphosa orders safety audit and case review after 11 women are killed in Ekurhuleni

From the Newshound archive · first published 28 September 2026 · last updated 30 September 2026.

South African Police Service officers at a crime scene in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, where 12 women's bodies have been found since July, with police unable to rule out a serial killer.
South African Police Service officers at a crime scene in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, where 12 women's bodies have been found since July, with police unable to rule out a serial killer.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered a 60-day national audit of women's safety and a 90-day review of unresolved gender-based violence cases following the killings of at least 11 women in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, since July.

The 11th victim's body was found semi-naked near a railway line in Springs, sparking fears of a serial killer operating across Ekurhuleni.

'This cannot be accepted as a normal part of life in South Africa,' Ramaphosa said, pledging funded plans to address dangerous hotspots after the audit.

MoreThe GuardianSouth Africa urges men to take more responsibility for gender-based violence after series of killingsIrish IndependentSouth Africa announces plan to tackle violence against women after killingsThe IndependentSouth Africa serial killer fears after another women found dead near Johannesburg
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