South Africa: The War On Women - - Ekurhuleni Murders Highlight SA's Femicide Crisis

What the report says

Daily Maverick, reporting from Johannesburg on 27 September 2026 and distributed by AllAfrica, says a series of killings in Ekurhuleni has sharpened concern about South Africa’s femicide crisis. The report frames the deaths as part of a wider pattern of violence against women and describes continuing fears about women’s safety, as well as criticism of policing, prevention and accountability systems.

Among the cases highlighted is Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, 38, who was reported missing by her eight-year-old daughter on 9 September after she did not return from a run. Her body was later found in Rhodesfield, Ekurhuleni, and family members identified her on 14 September. The article says she was the first of 10 women killed in Ekurhuleni and one in Soweto since July to be publicly identified.

The piece places these killings alongside other high-profile murders of women that have drawn national attention in South Africa over recent years. It notes that public outrage often leads to promises of reform, but that cases frequently do not result in lasting change. The South African Police Service has appointed a task team to investigate the Ekurhuleni deaths, indicating investigators see possible links among the cases. The report underscores how the issue remains a major public concern in South Africa, where gender-based violence has long been a central social and political problem.