Gracious Nkomo named among women killed in Kempton Park
JOHANNESBURG — The identification of 28-year-old Gracious Nkomo has brought another name to a series of killings involving women in Ekurhuleni, where police have been investigating the discovery of multiple bodies since July.
Nkomo’s body was discovered partially clothed near the R21 highway in Kempton Park on 10 September. Her family formally identified her at the Germiston Mortuary on 17 September, ending uncertainty over the identity of one of the women found in the area.
She was the third woman whose body was discovered along the R21 during the period under investigation. At the time of her identification, police had reported nine women found dead across parts of Ekurhuleni.
The discoveries prompted the South African Police Service (SAPS) to establish a multidisciplinary investigation involving specialised detectives and other policing units.
Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane confirmed that investigators were examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths and pursuing information that could help identify those responsible.
Police also intensified operations around Kempton Park, where several bodies had been discovered under circumstances that raised concerns about women’s safety.
The investigation has attracted considerable public attention because of similarities reported in some of the cases, including the locations where bodies were discovered.
However, police have not established that all the killings were committed by the same person or organised group. Investigators have been examining possible connections while pursuing evidence relating to individual victims.
Nkomo’s identification was an important development for her family and investigators, but it did not resolve the circumstances surrounding her death.
Police have urged anyone with information about the killings to assist investigators as efforts continue to establish what happened to the women.
The case also raises concerns about the vulnerability of women travelling through or living near areas where bodies have repeatedly been discovered.
For the affected families, identifying the victims is only one stage of the investigation. Establishing who killed them and securing successful prosecutions remain the central challenges facing police.
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