Woman found dead in Thembisa after Friday night outing as Ekurhuleni investigation widens
Police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in Mooifontein Cemetery in Thembisa South, while a friend says she last saw her at a tavern on Friday night.
A woman was found dead in Mooifontein Cemetery in Thembisa South, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday morning, September 26, 2026, prompting a new investigation in an area already facing heightened concern over the deaths of women.
South African police confirmed that the body was discovered in the Vusimusi section, near an informal settlement. SABC News reported that the body was found partially unclothed. The circumstances of the death, the woman’s identity and the cause of death have not been publicly established. (sabcnews.com)
A friend’s last sighting
A friend told SABC News that she had been with the woman at a tavern on Friday night before they went their separate ways. The friend became alarmed after seeing a photograph and recognising clothing similar to what the woman had been wearing when they last met.
“I don’t know what I’m going to say to her children. It’s painful,”
the friend said, describing the clothing as a similar T-shirt, black tights and white shoes. The account is an attributed recollection and does not by itself formally identify the deceased.
Part of a wider investigation
SABC News said the discovery brings the number of women’s bodies found over the past two months to 11: 10 in Ekurhuleni and one in Soweto. A separate Africanews report also described the Thembisa discovery as the tenth body found in Ekurhuleni during the period. (sabcnews.com)
The figures represent a developing tally. South African government information published on September 20 recorded nine women whose bodies had been discovered in Ekurhuleni up to September 17, before the latest Thembisa report. The government said a multidisciplinary specialised investigation team had been elevated and that police were seeking information from the public. (gov.za)
Authorities have not established that all of the deaths are connected. The Associated Press reported that police were examining possible links but had found no conclusive evidence that a serial killer was responsible for the cases. Two women had been arrested in connection with one of the earlier killings, but investigators had not linked them to the other deaths. (apnews.com)
Police response and what remains unknown
Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni said a joint command group involving senior police leadership and crime intelligence was meeting regularly to monitor the investigation into female bodies discovered across the province. He said the Thembisa case remained at an early stage while resources were being assembled. His current role as Gauteng provincial police commissioner is confirmed in current South African Police Service and government records. (sabcnews.com)
Police have not announced the woman’s name, the results of a post-mortem examination, whether she had been reported missing, or whether anyone has been arrested in connection with her death. It is also not known whether the case will be included in the same investigative pattern as the other Ekurhuleni deaths.
The next developments to watch are formal identification of the deceased, the release of forensic findings, any police statement on suspects or possible links, and further information from the friend or the woman’s family. The police have urged people with relevant information to report it directly rather than circulate unverified claims or graphic material online. (gov.za)
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