Police reject DA’s R500 000 reward for information on Ekurhuleni deaths

Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili says the South African Police Service (SAPS) cannot accept the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) separate R500 000 reward for information relating to the deaths of women whose bodies have been discovered in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni.

The DA announced the reward on Wednesday, 16 September, saying it would offer R500 000 for information leading to the successful prosecution of the person responsible for the deaths of multiple women in the municipality.

The announcement came as police continued investigating a series of deaths in Ekurhuleni, with SAPS already offering a R400 000 reward for information that could assist investigators.

POLICE REJECT DA’S REWARD FOR EKURHULENI MURDERS

Speaking in Dawn Park on Thursday, Mosikili said law-enforcement agencies and state authorities have established processes for offering rewards in criminal investigations.

She said the police could not simply incorporate the DA’s reward into the existing investigation.

“What the DA suggested, I don’t know how they are going to combine it. It cannot be combined. What are their terms and references of doing so, whether they are legally or correct to be pronouncing on giving..,” Mosikili said.

She suggested that political parties should rather work with the state and law-enforcement agencies on matters involving criminal investigations.

“I think what I would have done is to partner with the state and collaborate with the state because this is a state issue,” she said.

Mosikili said she was unfamiliar with political parties offering rewards in this manner.

“For me I would like to remain an administrative employee of the state and not a politician. I don’t know how it works in the political space to give a reward. I have never seen it happening before, so I don’t know how they’re going to be working on that one,” she said.

[WATCH] "I don't know how whether they are legally correct to be pronouncing on giving… in as far as police is concerned, there is a process when a reward is given," SAPS deputy national commissioner Tebello Mosikili responds to the DA giving away a R500 000 reward in… pic.twitter.com/U8d4tUCJhU

— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) September 17, 2026

SAPS HAS ITS OWN REWARD PROCESS

Mosikili said SAPS follows an established process when a reward is offered in connection with an investigation.

“There is a committee that would evaluate what has been presented with the person who has provided information and that R400 000 that was declared by the national police commissioner. It would follow all our internal processes,” she said.

Police have established a specialised investigation into the cases, with investigators working to determine whether the deaths are linked.

NINTH WOMAN’S BODY DISCOVERED

Among the victims was 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, who went missing on 9 September after leaving her home in Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, for a run.

Her body was discovered on 12 September and was positively identified by her family two days later.

Her death has prompted widespread concern, particularly among women and members of the running community, with memorial events held in her honour.

I AM A MAN. I AM A FATHER. AND I AM SCARED.

A sixth woman’s body has reportedly been found in KwaThema, Springs, following the discovery of a fifth woman near Olifantsfontein and several other women found dead in and around Kempton Park.

Police are investigating and have… pic.twitter.com/AOR8zUApY1

— Mayibuye Melisizwe Mandela (@Cde_MM_Mandela) September 15, 2026

The latest discovery was made in Dawn Park on Thursday morning, when the body of a woman was found in an open area in Lama Street, Villa Lisa.

The discovery brought the number of women whose bodies have been found in the Ekurhuleni area in recent weeks to nine.

The deaths have heightened concerns among residents and renewed calls for authorities to identify those responsible.

Police have warned the public against circulating unverified information or falsely identifying people as suspects while investigations are ongoing. SAPS has also cautioned against sharing misleading images and claims linked to the investigation.