The incident occurred on Thursday, 18 September 2026, at approximately 20:15 at Vlamo Restaurant in Sandton Gate, Glenadrienne, Johannesburg. A woman attending a private birthday dinner with companions was approached by a man who offered to take photographs. After the group declined, he demanded her phone number. When asked to leave them alone, he became aggressive and verbally abusive.
The man followed the women into the ladies’ powder-room area. In footage recorded by one of the women and later shared online, he is heard making repeated threats, including statements to the effect that he could put a bullet in them, that he would murder them and walk away, and that he did not play. He also claimed to be wealthy, asserted that he could buy or already owned the restaurant, described the women as poor, and used insulting language toward at least one of them. He told them they should have rejected him in a “nice, respectful way” and dismissed the fact that they were recording him.
Restaurant staff intervened and removed him from the powder-room area. The restaurant owner later reviewed video footage of the incident, spoke with the complainant, and had the man removed from the premises. No firearm was seen during the confrontation and no physical injuries were reported. Vlamo has stated that the individual is not affiliated with, employed by, or associated with the restaurant in any capacity. Management confirmed that a formal case was reported to the South African Police Service and that visible security measures at the venue would be increased.
Police confirmed that a case of intimidation has been opened. The matter is being investigated by the Gauteng Provincial Investigation Unit after being reported at Randburg SAPS. Officials identified the suspect as Lawrence Chamurwa Mudzinganyama (also referred to in some reports as Mudzingayima), a Zimbabwean national.
Mudzinganyama was the founder, executive chairman and a director of Moriel Infrastructure Group, an engineering, procurement and construction company involved in infrastructure and road projects. On Sunday, 20 September 2026, the board of Moriel Infrastructure Group announced that it had resolved to terminate its association with him in both capacities with immediate effect. The company stated that he would no longer represent, speak for or act on behalf of the group in any capacity. It said the conduct shown in the footage was inconsistent with its values and unequivocally condemned violence against women as well as threatening, abusive and intimidating conduct.
Public records show that Moriel Infrastructure Group has been awarded contracts by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL). These include a contract valued at approximately R107.5 million for periodic maintenance (resurfacing) on National Route 1 Section 8 from Nelspoort to Three Sisters, awarded in October 2024, and a contract valued at approximately R71.55 million for training and construction management for small contractors and communities on National Route N2 Section 20 from Mount Frere to Ntabankulu Junction (Phase 2) in the Eastern Cape, awarded in January 2025.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy instructed the SANRAL board to investigate whether Moriel Infrastructure Group was lawfully appointed as a SANRAL contractor and whether it is fulfilling all its contractual obligations. SANRAL confirmed it would carry out the investigation as directed.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson directed the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) to immediately investigate allegations that Moriel Infrastructure Group obtained multiple contractor gradings on the same day. Further allegations suggest the company may not have met the required criteria for those gradings, which may subsequently have been used to secure government contracts. Macpherson instructed the CIDB to examine the circumstances and report back at the earliest opportunity.
In a personal statement issued on Sunday, Mudzinganyama apologised unreservedly to the women involved. He described his aggressive and threatening language as unacceptable and unjustifiable regardless of the circumstances. He said he should have exercised restraint, removed himself from the situation and sought assistance from restaurant management, and accepted full responsibility for his words and conduct. He expressed deep regret for the fear and distress caused and for the public concern generated by the footage. He acknowledged the seriousness of his conduct in the context of high levels of violence against women in South Africa, said he understood the anger and alarm the incident had caused, and stated that he would cooperate fully with law-enforcement authorities. He added that he was seeking professional guidance and would undertake a conflict-management programme.
Reports circulating on social media also indicated that Steyn City had terminated a lease agreement with Mudzinganyama, who was described as a tenant at the luxury estate. The estate was reported to have confirmed the individual was a resident, cancelled the lease, strongly condemned any act of violence or intimidation, and stated it was cooperating with authorities while prioritising resident safety.
The police investigation into the intimidation case remains ongoing. The SANRAL and CIDB probes continue separately.
Eight of Nine Women Found Dead in Ekurhuleni Identified as Police Continue Probe into Series of Deaths
Police in Gauteng are investigating the deaths of nine women whose bodies were discovered across the City of Ekurhuleni between mid-July and mid-September 2026. The cases span locations including Kempton Park, Pomona, Rhodesfield, Olifantsfontein, Clayville near Tembisa, KwaThema in Springs, and Dawn Park in Boksburg. Many of the bodies were found naked or partially clothed, with some showing signs of trauma, bruising, or advanced decomposition. Police have not established that a single perpetrator or group is responsible for all the deaths and continue to examine possible links while treating the cases as part of a coordinated investigation.
The first body was found on 15 July 2026 near the R21 in Kempton Park. The woman, aged 37, was discovered naked and restrained with cable ties in an open field. A suspect, described in reports as the victim’s partner, was arrested two days later in connection with that case and remains in custody. Police have not publicly linked this suspect to the subsequent deaths.
Further discoveries followed. On 3 August 2026, the body of 32-year-old Itumeleng Kekana was found on Great North Road in Pomona, Kempton Park. Kekana, originally from QwaQwa in the Free State and reported as a shopkeeper, had been reported missing on 17 July 2026. Her family identified her remains after searching for more than two weeks.
Additional bodies were recovered in August and early September in the Kempton Park area, including along the R21. On 7 September 2026, the body of a woman believed to be in her late 20s was found floating in a river in Clayville, near the Mall of Thembisa. She was wearing only underwear. Police later included this case in the broader investigation.
On 10 September 2026, the partially clothed and decomposing body of 28-year-old Gracious Nkomo was found along the R21 in Kempton Park. Nkomo’s family positively identified her on 17 September 2026 at the Germiston mortuary. Reports indicated she had been working at a lodge in the area around the time of her disappearance, and missing-person alerts had circulated on social media.
On 12 September 2026, the body of 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo was found partially clothed and bruised behind a hotel in Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, near the R21. Moselakgomo, a mother and regular runner, had left her home on 9 September for an afternoon run and did not return. Her eight-year-old daughter raised the alarm. The family formally identified her on 14 September 2026 at the Germiston mortuary.
On 14 September 2026, another woman’s body was found partially naked with bruising on the side of a road in Olifantsfontein after a passer-by alerted authorities. Police indicated the body may have been dumped at the scene. Her identity has not been publicly confirmed in available reports.
On 15 September 2026, the naked and decomposing body of 38-year-old Dineo Evelyn Motapane was discovered on the side of a road in KwaThema, Springs. Motapane, a mother of two (including a two-year-old daughter), was last seen alive the previous Sunday. Her family identified her the following day at the Springs mortuary. Some reports described her body as battered and partly burned.
On 17 September 2026, a ninth body was found in an open space on Lama Street in the Villa Liza area of Dawn Park, Boksburg. The woman, estimated to be around 30 years old, was discovered partially naked (reports vary between a blue T-shirt and pink underwear or wrapped in a sheet). Preliminary information indicated the body had been dumped, with some accounts noting stab wounds or a slit throat. Her identity has not been publicly released in reports available as of mid-to-late September.
As of reports around 17–19 September 2026, at least four women had been publicly identified by name: Itumeleng Kekana (32), Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo (38), Dineo Evelyn Motapane (38), and Gracious Nkomo (28). Subsequent developments reported by eNCA indicated that eight of the nine bodies had been identified, though full public details on all names were not uniformly available across sources at the time of earlier summaries. Five victims remained publicly unnamed in multiple mid-September accounts, with police continuing forensic identification processes and appealing to families of missing persons to come forward.
All nine victims were described in reports as Black women in their twenties or thirties. Several bodies showed signs consistent with violence, and police confirmed that some of the earlier victims had been sexually assaulted. The geographical pattern includes a concentration near the R21 highway in the Kempton Park area for multiple cases, with later discoveries farther afield in Olifantsfontein, Clayville, KwaThema, and Dawn Park (roughly 25–45 km apart in some instances).
A multidisciplinary team of investigators, including specialists, has been established under the leadership of senior provincial and national police officers. Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane and other officials have stated that the team is working around the clock to determine the circumstances of each death and identify those responsible. Police have emphasised that it remains premature to conclude the cases are linked by a single offender or group, though similarities in victim profiles and body conditions are being examined.
A reward of R400 000 was offered for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible; some later reports referred to a total of R900 000 linked to the investigations. Intensified policing operations, including Operation Shanela, have been deployed in Kempton Park and surrounding areas. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, and other officials have publicly stated that authorities will pursue all leads and that the state has the capacity to respond. President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed police to prioritise the cases and expressed solidarity with the victims’ families.
Police continue to urge anyone with information to contact investigators. Families of missing women have been asked to approach authorities to assist with identification. The investigation remains active as forensic work, comparisons between cases, and other leads are pursued.
Police Question Suspects Amid Ongoing Probe into Ekurhuleni Women’s Murders
Investigators are currently questioning suspects in connection with at least one of the murders of women whose bodies have been discovered across Ekurhuleni in recent months, according to sources familiar with the investigation. The development marks a potential advance in the probe, though police have not yet issued an official statement confirming the latest steps or linking any individual to additional cases.
A dedicated multidisciplinary police team continues to examine the deaths. The cases involve the recovery of multiple women’s bodies in areas including Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, KwaThema and Dawn Park between July and mid-September 2026. Reports have placed the number of bodies under active investigation at nine. Several of the women were found partially clothed or with visible injuries. Police have stated that it has not been established whether the deaths are connected or the work of a single perpetrator.
One suspect was arrested shortly after the first body was found on 15 July 2026 near the R21 in Kempton Park. The victim, a 37-year-old woman, was discovered naked and restrained with cable ties. Police have confirmed that this suspect has been positively linked to that specific murder and remains in custody. Detectives have been examining evidence from this case alongside the later discoveries.
Police previously confirmed the establishment of a specialised team comprising detectives and other specialised units to investigate the deaths and determine any possible connections. A reward of R400 000 has been offered for information that could assist the investigation. Authorities have also increased visible policing operations in affected areas.
Officials have repeatedly cautioned against speculation that a serial offender is responsible, emphasising that forensic and investigative work is required to establish links. Some victims have been formally identified by their families, while others remain unidentified. Home Affairs has been approached to assist with biometric identification of both victims and the existing suspect in custody.
Gauteng police leadership has indicated that investigators are following leads involving additional persons of interest linked to at least some of the cases. The broader investigation remains active, with officers continuing to gather and analyse evidence from the various scenes.
Police have urged members of the public not to circulate unverified photographs or information purporting to identify suspects, stating that no official identikit, wanted poster or suspect image has been released. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS app to submit an anonymous tip.
The probe continues under the direction of senior police command, with resources directed at establishing the full circumstances of each death and identifying those responsible.
