Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane confirmed a R400,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the Ekurhuleni women murders during a briefing on Tuesday 15 September 2026. Image: Supplied
Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane confirmed a R400,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the Ekurhuleni women murders on Tuesday 15 September 2026. The SAPS reward Ekurhuleni murders announcement came as police have now found eight women’s bodies across the east of Gauteng since July 2026. Furthermore, Dimpane vowed that anyone linked to the crimes through evidence would face the full force of the law. As a result, SAPS made the Ekurhuleni murders one of its highest-priority investigations.
Dimpane was direct and emotional in her briefing. She said officers would not rest until they established the truth. She described the loss of a loved one under such circumstances as devastating for the families. Furthermore, she committed the full resources of SAPS to the investigation. As a result, her briefing sent a clear message that the investigation runs at the highest level of urgency within SAPS.
The SAPS reward in the Ekurhuleni murders covers information leading directly to an arrest. SAPS called on the public to come forward with any details that could assist the investigation. Furthermore, Dimpane cautioned the public against circulating unverified information or making accusations without evidence. Rumours can derail investigations and harm innocent people. As a result, SAPS is asking for information rather than speculation.
President Cyril Ramaphosa directed that the cases be prioritised on Tuesday. “Our law enforcement agencies are working urgently to establish the facts, keep communities safe and bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice. I have directed that these cases be prioritised and that no stone be left unturned,” Ramaphosa said. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia extended condolences to the families and met the investigation team on Tuesday afternoon. Furthermore, Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili warned perpetrators on Monday night. “You may think that you have removed the evidence. You may think that nobody saw you or knows who you are. Do not make that mistake,” Mosikili said. As a result, South Africa’s most senior law enforcement and political leadership now directly drives the investigation.
What the SAPS Reward in the Ekurhuleni Murders Covers
Eight women’s bodies are now under investigation in and around Ekurhuleni since July 2026. The first victim, a 37-year-old woman, appeared near the R21 in Rhodesfield on 15 July 2026. A suspect in that case sits in custody. More bodies followed in the Rhodesfield area between August and September. The sixth body turned up in Kwa-Thema, Springs on Tuesday 15 September 2026, found naked and decomposed behind Club 69. The seventh case involves a woman found in a river in Clayville near Tembisa Mall on 7 September 2026. A body discovered in Olifantsfontein has also been added to the investigation as the eighth case. Furthermore, five of the eight victims remain unidentified and the Germiston Forensic Pathology Service is running DNA analysis to identify them. As a result, SAPS urges families of missing women in Ekurhuleni to come forward to assist.
SAPS and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department deployed detectives, tracking teams, forensic experts, K9 units and the Investigative Psychology Unit to the investigation. Police have not confirmed whether all eight cases link to a single offender. Former SAPS profiler Gérard Labuschagne said investigators should focus on facts rather than labels like serial killer. Furthermore, Acting Police Minister Cachalia said the possibility that a perpetrator or perpetrators may be targeting women demands urgent and determined attention. As a result, the investigation proceeds on the basis that the cases may be linked while keeping an open mind about each one.
Read more: Seventh Woman’s Body Found in Tembisa as Ekurhuleni Murder Crisis Deepens