‘We are broken’: Itumeleng Kekana’s brother searched for his slain sister in Ekurhuleni

Itumeleng Kekana gave a last birthday wish before she disappeared, only to be found brutally murdered days later. Themba Kekana’s (44) phone rang on 17 July – his birthday. On the line was his 32-year-old sister, Itumeleng Kekana. She was calling from Kempton Park to wish him a happy birthday. “The last time I spoke to her was that morning. She was excitable and cheerfully wished me a happy birthday,” said Kekana. Originally from Mmakwane Village in QwaQwa, Free State, Itumeleng was at her shop that evening, where she sold beauty products. At around 7pm, while chatting on her phone, she stepped outside to speak to someone, telling a colleague she would be back. She never returned. She is one of nine women who have been found dead in Ekurhuleni since July. Themba said the pair spoke often but recalled he did not hear from her again. The following day, 18 July, he noticed his calls weren’t going through, and that’s when the Kekana family received alarming information from her neighbour that Itumeleng was missing. On that same day, a critical lead emerged in the neighbourhood, said Kekana. Men arrived at a local spot attempting to sell a cellphone. Kekana said that a sharp-eyed community member noticed that the phone’s lock screen displayed a photograph of Itumeleng. Acting quickly to assist, the community member pretended to proceed with the purchase and alerted the Kempton Park police. Officers responded to the scene, apprehending one of the men, while another managed to escape. Although the phone was eventually formatted and its SIM card removed and missing, the discovery confirmed the family’s worst fears: Itumeleng was in grave danger. 17-day desperate search Refusing to lose hope, Itumeleng’s brother travelled from QwaQwa, Free State, to Gauteng on 19 July to join her boyfriend and relatives in a relentless search. For more than two weeks, the family scoured the region, searching hospitals, clinics, mortuaries, police stations, and open fields, desperately hoping to bring Itumeleng home alive. ‘We found her in a bad state’ The agonising search ended on 3 August when police notified the family that a body had been discovered near a bridge along the R21. “On 3 August there was a man on the way to work. He didn’t end up going to work because he got the shock of his life when he saw her,” Themba said. Themba and his family rushed to the scene, where they faced the heartbreaking task of identifying Itumeleng. Police reports show that her body was found in a severe, horrifying condition – partially naked, with cuts, deep bruising, hands and feet tied, and facial injuries so extreme that she was unrecognisable. Her family could only positively identify her by her body size, complexion, and dyed hair at the scene and later confirmed at the mortuary. Shattered The family laid Itumeleng to rest in QwaQwa on 22 August, but the trauma continues to weigh heavily on them. Now under her grandparents’ care, a 14-year-old girl is left without her mother. “We are always looking at the news. It’s painful. We are broken as a family; we are not coping,” Themba shared on the recent Ekurhuleni murders adding to their grief. Describing the devastating toll the loss has taken on his young niece, “She is a mess. It’s like she is losing her mind. It’s painful. She is taking it one day at a time.” Desperate for a breakthrough, Themba had urged the investigative team to secure nearby surveillance footage that might unmask Itumeleng’s murderer. Backlog fears in DNA evidence Eight bodies have been recovered from roadsides and open velds in Kempton Park (five), Olifantsfontein (two), and Kwa-Thema (one). The initial case on 15 July involved a 37-year-old woman bound with cable ties off the R21, resulting in her partner’s arrest. Subsequent discoveries through August and September yielded five unidentified victims alongside three who were named by relatives: 32-year-old Itumeleng Kekana (found 3 August in Pomona), 38-year-old jogger Elizabeth Moselakgomo (found 12 September in Rhodesfield), and 38-year-old Dineo Evelyn Motapane (found 15 September in Springs). While police have not formally confirmed whether the deaths are connected, the striking similarities prompted authorities to establish a dedicated multidisciplinary task team and issue warnings to local women to exercise caution. Action Society spokesperson Juanita du Preez stressed that while apprehending the culprit is paramount, forensic evidence stuck in the system means a potential serial offender may continue to escape detection. “The system that should be helping investigators find dangerous offenders is crippled by backlogs and delays.” While specialised forensic teams work to analyse crime scenes across Kempton Park, Rhodesfield, Olifantsfontein, Clayville, Springs, and Dawn Park, police caution that it is too early to confirm if the murders are linked. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed yesterday that top investigative resources have been assigned to the case. Because four of the victims have not been identified, law enforcement is appealing directly to families with missing relatives to come forward.