569 women killed in three months as Ekurhuleni’s eight-woman mystery deepens

South Africa recorded 569 women killed and 1,052 survivors of attempted murder between April and June 2026, while 8,814 rape cases were reported during the first quarter of the year, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said.

A total of 569 women were killed and 1,052 survived attempted murder between April and June 2026, according to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) which condemned the deaths of eight women in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.

The women's bodies were found at different locations over the past two months, with police intensifying investigations into the deaths and examining whether they are connected.

The commission conveyed its condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.

The commission said a cautionary observation by Justice Khampepe in S v Tshabalala; Ntuli v S (2019) could not be overemphasised.

“The notion that rape is committed by sexually deviant monsters with no self-control is misplaced. Law databases are replete with cases that contradict this notion. Often, those who rape are fathers, brothers, uncles, husbands, lovers, mentors, bosses and colleagues. We commune with them. We share stories and coffee with them. We jog with them. We work with them. They are ordinary people who lead normal lives.”

According to the SAHRC, the comments emphasise the pervasiveness of violence against women.

“It occurs in all areas of society, and is an inescapable, constant threat to the lives of women,” the commission said.

“Yet women continue to mainly fight the scourge alone. Women and girls must not be expected to lead the struggle against gendered violence alone, or to take extraordinary precautions to live ordinary lives.”

The commission said it was disappointing that, despite the declaration of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as a national disaster by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2025, violence against women remains a societal ill that deprives women of their basic human rights to life, safety, dignity and freedom, as enshrined in the Constitution.

The SAHRC said 569 women were killed and 1,052 survived attempted murder between April and June 2026.

“Furthermore, 8,814 cases of rape were reported during the first quarter of 2026,” it said.

The commission also highlighted the prevalence of violence against women and children in schools.

Its 2026 report, The Scourge of Sexual Violence at Schools: A Crisis of Fragmentation, Delayed Integration, and Uneven Enforcement , highlights what it describes as the staggering pervasiveness of sexual violence in schools.