PROJECT: WHY SERIAL KILLERS ARE SO DANGEROUS - THE SOUTH AFRICAN REALITY
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The discovery of multiple female bodies in the Kempton Park and wider Ekurhuleni area has created serious concern
among South African women and their families.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) is investigating whether there is a connection between several deaths.
Investigators have identified concerning similarities and have deployed a multidisciplinary team involving detectives,
forensic specialists, K9 and tracking resources and the Investigative Psychology Unit.
The SAPS has warned women in and around Kempton Park, particularly Rhodesfield, to exercise extreme caution.
SSS stresses that the existence of a serial killer has not been established. The connection between the cases,
and whether one or more perpetrators are responsible, must be determined through evidence.
However, the circumstances provide an important opportunity to explain why repeat violent offenders are particularly dangerous and why they can be difficult to identify and arrest.
SOUTH AFRICA CANNOT AFFORD COMPLACENCY ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME:
South Africans live with a high level of violent crime, and women face particular risks of murder, sexual offences, assault, kidnapping and other forms of violence.
SAPS recorded 249,804 crimes against women in 2024/25, with a detection rate of 70.67%.
These figures demonstrate the substantial investigative burden facing the police and the scale of crimes committed against women in South Africa.
A serial offender represents an additional challenge because the crimes may initially appear to be isolated incidents.
WHY A SERIAL OFFENDER CAN REMAIN UNDETECTED:
A repeat offender does not necessarily operate according to a simple or immediately recognisable pattern.
Victims may live in different areas, have different occupations and social circumstances and have no apparent relationship with one another.
The perpetrator may also deliberately select circumstances where there are few witnesses, limited surveillance and little immediate opportunity for intervention.
In South Africa, this can include isolated stretches of road, open veld, vacant properties, informal pathways, areas alongside highways and locations where CCTV coverage is limited.
The environment itself can therefore create opportunities for violent criminals.
THE OFFENDER MAY LOOK COMPLETELY ORDINARY:
There is no reliable appearance, occupation, race, age or social status that identifies a serial killer.
A violent offender may appear completely ordinary to neighbours, colleagues or acquaintances.
This is why public safety should not be based on stereotypes.
The relevant question is not whether someone looks dangerous, but whether their behaviour, circumstances or actions create a genuine safety concern.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN LANDSCAPE CREATES PARTICULAR CHALLENGES:
South Africa's large urban areas, extensive road networks, vacant land, informal settlements, isolated properties and areas with limited surveillance can make it difficult to immediately establish where a violent crime occurred.
A person may disappear in one location and later be found somewhere else.
This is particularly important when bodies are discovered in areas that may be used to dispose of victims rather than being the location where the violence occurred.
Investigators therefore have to establish not only who the victim was and who may have killed them, but where the crime actually occurred and how the victim reached the discovery site.
WHY THE KEMPTON PARK CASES REQUIRE EVIDENCE, NOT SPECULATION:
The Kempton Park investigation demonstrates precisely why investigators must work methodically.
Similarities between cases can provide an important investigative lead, but similarity does not automatically establish that the same person committed every crime.
Investigators must establish the connection through evidence such as:
DNA and other biological evidence;
fingerprints;
forensic pathology;
injuries and cause of death;
CCTV footage;
vehicle movements;
cellphone and telecommunications data;
digital communications;
witness statements;
geographical patterns;
missing-person reports;
financial or transactional information; and
links between victims, locations and individuals.
SAPS has already brought specialised investigative resources into the Kempton Park investigation, including investigative psychology.
WHY MISSING-PERSON REPORTS ARE CRITICAL:
One of the most important messages for South African families is this:
There is no 24-hour waiting period before reporting a missing person.
SAPS specifically instructs the public to report a missing person immediately at the nearest police station.
Families should provide a recent photograph, information about the person's last known whereabouts, clothing and any other information that may assist investigators.
This information can become critical when unidentified remains are subsequently discovered.
A missing-person investigation may also provide investigators with the timeline needed to reconstruct movements, identify vehicles, obtain CCTV footage and establish possible contact with other people.
WOMEN MUST NOT WAIT FOR POLICE TO CONFIRM A THREAT:
The current Kempton Park investigation illustrates an important principle of personal security.
Women do not need confirmation that a serial killer is operating before taking reasonable precautions.
SAPS has already advised women in the affected area to avoid isolated areas and, where possible, to travel or exercise in groups.
Women should:
avoid walking or exercising alone in isolated areas;
avoid vacant land, secluded paths and poorly populated areas;
exercise particular caution early in the morning and after dark;
tell someone where they are going;
share their live location when appropriate;
keep a charged cellphone accessible;
remain aware of their surroundings;
vary predictable routines where practical;
verify e-hailing vehicle and driver details before entering;
avoid meeting strangers or online contacts in isolated locations;
avoid unnecessarily revealing their home address or daily routine;
seek assistance immediately if they believe they are being followed; and
never drive or walk directly home if they believe someone is following them.
Move towards a police station, shopping centre, petrol station, security-controlled premises or another populated location.
FAMILIES MUST TAKE CHANGES IN BEHAVIOUR SERIOUSLY:
If a woman who normally communicates regularly suddenly stops responding, fails to arrive at work or home, misses an expected appointment or disappears in circumstances that are out of character, the situation should not automatically be dismissed as a voluntary absence.
This does not mean every missing person is the victim of a crime.
It means that time matters.
Families should immediately preserve relevant information, including recent photographs, cellphone numbers, messages, social-media information, clothing, vehicle details, known destinations and the person's last confirmed location.
DO NOT TURN SOCIAL MEDIA INTO A COURTROOM:
South Africans have increasingly turned to Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok and other platforms to distribute missing-person alerts and information about criminal cases.
These platforms can be extremely useful.
They can also cause serious harm when unverified names, photographs and accusations are circulated as facts.
The public should provide credible information to investigators rather than attempting to identify or punish suspects through social media.
A person should not be publicly labelled a murderer simply because circumstances appear suspicious.
SERIAL OFFENDERS CAN BE CAUGHT:
The fact that a repeat offender may initially evade detection does not mean that the offender is invisible.
Modern investigations can combine forensic evidence, digital information, CCTV, cellphone data, intelligence, witness evidence, investigative psychology and traditional detective work.
One apparently insignificant piece of evidence can become highly significant when it is connected to other evidence.
This is why crime scenes must be protected, evidence must be preserved and information must reach investigators quickly.
SSS WARNING TO SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN:
The Kempton Park investigation should not result in panic.
It should result in greater awareness.
South African women should not assume that a familiar running route, neighbourhood,
shortcut or vacant area is safe simply because they have used it many times before.
Predictability, isolation and lack of witnesses can create opportunities for violent criminals.
Women should therefore assess their surroundings, reduce unnecessary exposure to isolated locations
and ensure that somebody knows where they are.
At the same time, the public must allow SAPS investigators to establish the facts.
Whether the Kempton Park deaths are connected, whether they involve a serial offender
and who may be responsible must be determined through evidence.
SSS urges anyone with credible information about the deaths or any missing person connected
to the investigation to provide that information to SAPS immediately.
A missing person must be reported without delay.
A suspicious circumstance must not simply be ignored.
And a woman who feels unsafe should act on that warning and move to safety.
SSS remains committed to crime investigation, prevention and public education and urges South Africans
to remain vigilant without contributing to fear, misinformation or vigilante activity.
Listen to Mr. Mike Bolhuis share insights drawn from years of expert profiling and crime investigation experience.
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Mike Bolhuis
Specialist Investigators into
Serious Violent, Serious Economic Crimes & Serious Cybercrimes
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