Police in South Africa have confirmed the discovery of the bodies of three more women in an area east of Johannesburg, bringing the total number of bodies found there to 12 in just two months. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.

The latest bodies were found in Ekurhuleni between Saturday and Monday morning, according to local police.

Police have made arrests in three of the cases, which do not appear to be related to the others. Nevertheless, police have said they cannot rule out the possibility of a serial killer.

The discoveries have caused widespread alarm in Ekurhuleni, particularly around Kempton Park, and come against the backdrop of longstanding concerns about high levels of violence against women in South Africa.

Busisiwe Mahlangu's body was found in Kempton Park on 15 July 2026, the first of a string of bodies found in Ekurhuleni within a two-month period. The 37-year-old was found naked with her hands bound with cable ties.

Police arrested a suspect, believed to be her partner, two days after her murder. He has been in police custody since then and has not been linked to the other deaths that followed.

Itumeleng Kekana, 32, was the second woman whose body was found in the same area on 3 August 2026.

The young mother disappeared in July and her body was found badly bruised, partially clothed and dumped on a bridge in Kempton Park.

Nomfesane Mjobo's body was found on 26 August, also in Kempton Park.

Few details around her death have been released but like most of the victims, she was found partially or fully naked with bruises.

Police confirmed the discovery of an unknown woman, in her 20s, on 7 September. The woman's body was found floating in a river in Olifantsfontain wearing only her underwear.

No further details have been shared about her death and no arrests have been made.

Gracious Nkomo was the fifth woman whose body was discovered, again in the Kempton Park area.

Her partially clothed body was found on 10 September along a road close to South Africa's busiest airport. No arrests have been made in the 28-year-old's death.

Elizabeth Moselakgomo was the sixth woman to be found, after a highly publicised nationwide search for her. The 38-year-old went missing while out for a daily run near her home in Kempton Park.

Her body was found badly bruised and partially clothed on 12 September. It was the discovery of her body that really raised the alarm about the spate of killings. No arrests have been made in her case.

Women held a memorial run in Johannesburg after the discovery of Moselakgomo's body.

Police confirmed the discovery of another body just two days after Moselakgomo was found. The body was found in Olifantsfontein on 14 September, but police have withheld her name as her family has not yet been informed.

The body of Dineo Motapane, 38, was discovered on 15 September just two days after she was last seen alive.

Motapane's battered and partly burned body was found on the side of the road in Springs, another part of Ekurhuleni.

She leaves behind a young child. No arrests have been made in her case.

The body of Jabulile Ntimba, in her 30s, was discovered half-naked and wrapped in a sheet on the side of a road in Boksburg on 17 September. This was the ninth body found in Ekurhuleni.

According to police, it appears Ntimba was killed because of a possible love triangle. Three people, two women and a man, were initially arrested for her grisly murder but the man was released due to insufficient evidence.

The two women have been charged with premeditated murder and defeating the ends of justice.

The body of Ntombifuthi Nxumalo, the 10th body found in Ekurhuleni, was discovered at a cemetery in the Tembisa neighbourhood north-east of central Johannesburg on 26 September. She was found naked with serious head injuries as well as stones near her body.

This has led to police believing she may have been stoned to death.

A 36-year-old man was arrested a day after Nxumalo's death after he had travelled to another province. He faces a murder charge.