Coalition instability puts South Africa’s municipalities under pressure ahead of 2026 elections

Johannesburg, South Africa - Police have made three arrests in connection with the murders of nine women found dead in a neighborhood east of Johannesburg, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed on Monday. The latest victims, Jabulile Ntimba, a man and two women were apprehended over the weekend, with Ntimba's body discovered on September 17th, marking the ninth victim of a series of killings that have gripped the nation in fear and outrage.

Deputy Police Chief Tebello Mosikili suggested that Ntimba's murder might have been linked to a relationship issue, possibly involving a love triangle. Despite government pledges and the declaration of gender-based violence as a national disaster, gender-based violence remains a pervasive problem in South Africa.

President Ramaphosa vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice, promising additional resources, technology, and measures to tackle violence against women. Four individuals are currently in police custody in connection with the Kempton Park killings, with one man arrested over a murder in July still due in court on October 28th.

Separately, another woman was found dead in Soweto on Sunday, her body wrapped in a duvet and left near a dam. Two alleged serial rapists are also due in court in KwaZulu-Natal province, with a 46-year-old man linked by DNA to 16 rape cases in Durban and a 36-year-old man to at least 14 cases across two provinces. South Africa's murder rate remains alarmingly high, averaging over 60 per day, one of the highest globally.