Society News

Eight women found dead near Johannesburg's airport: 'In this country we are prey'

The bodies of eight women have been found around OR Tambo international airport near Johannesburg, five of them in a single week, The Guardian reported. Elizabeth Moselakgomo, 38, went for a run on September 9 and did not return; her body was found on September 12. Police said four women's bodies had been found since July 15 in Kempton Park, all half-naked with visible bruising, and more were found in Olifantsfontein and elsewhere.

Detectives first said they were examining a serial killer angle, but a police spokesperson later said nothing yet pointed to one, adding that the boyfriend of the first victim was in custody. Police urged women not to walk or run alone, angering campaigners.

“We are tired of being told to be vigilant when women are already doing everything possible to stay alive.” — Women For Change, via The Guardian

South Africa's femicide rate was 12.2 per 100,000 in 2022, nearly six times the global rate, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. President Cyril Ramaphosa directed police to prioritise the cases; TimesLIVE quoted him promising that “no stone will be left unturned”.

How each outlet framed it

• The Guardian — the backlash against police advice, and a national crisis declared in 2025 without a concrete plan.
• NPR — women's daily fear, under the headline that South Africa “feels like a prison for women”.
• Africanews — the killings as a sign of the country's wider crime levels.
• TimesLIVE — Ramaphosa's promise of a full investigation.

What we don't know yet: whether the deaths are linked.