JUST IN: Ninth body of woman found in Dawn Park, Ekurhuleni

South African Police Service (Saps) have unearthed the ninth body of a woman in Ekurhuleni, East Rand, on Thursday morning, September 17, 2026. The semi-naked body was discovered in Dawn Park, wrapped in a sheet, raising further alarm over the recent discoveries of women's bodies. Saps Major-General Fred Kekana revealed preliminary findings suggest the body was dumped at the scene.

The victim's identity and cause of death remain undisclosed. The series of murders has caused widespread shock across the nation, claiming five women's lives in Kempton Park, two in Olifantsfontein, one in Kwathema, and now one in Dawn Park. The authorities have promised a R400,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) and have placed Kempton Park under lockdown through Operation Shanela.

Opposition party DA has also offered R500,000 for information that could lead to a successful prosecution of the murderer(s). Police are intensifying their investigations into the grim murders of at least nine women in Ekurhuleni, and three victims have been identified. Dineo Evelyn Motapane, a 38-year-old woman, was one of the victims, whose body was found on the roadside in KwaThema, Springs.

Her family positively identified her body at the Springs Mortuary on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Motapane was last seen alive on Sunday, but her family had not reported her missing at the time.