Nine women killed near Johannesburg spark South African protests against femicide

Multiple violent crimes including the killings of nine women in South Africa, the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Nigeria, the murder of an opposition politician in Enugu, Nigeria, the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine linked to Ghana, and the conviction of Donna Adelson in the 2014 murder-for-hire of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel have drawn renewed attention to global patterns of violence, drug trafficking and unresolved investigations.

South Africa mourns nine women killed near Johannesburg

South Africans gathered for memorial runs and protests this week after the killings of nine women near Johannesburg reignited anger and fear over violence that many say mirrors the dangers women face every day. [1] Police have found the bodies of nine women in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, over the past two months and are investigating whether the killings are linked. [1] Most of the victims were in their 20s and 30s. [1] Some were found stripped of their clothes and showed signs of sexual assault. [1] A memorial run in Johannesburg on Saturday morning honoured one of the victims, Elizabeth Moselakgomo, who disappeared after going for a run and was found dead days later. [1] Runners lit candles and carried a banner reading: “Enough. Stop Femicide.” [1] “We are here because we’ve lost a runner. But we are not safe anywhere,” said Lerato Lentsela, one of dozens of people who dressed in black for the memorial run. [1] “We are not safe running, we are not safe at a post office, we are not safe on a date, we are not safe in our own homes, we are not safe in an Uber.” [1] The killings have reignited anger over violence against women in South Africa, where gender-based violence was declared a national disaster in 2025. [1] Many women say the heightened attention and official promises have done little to make them feel safer. [1] “Enough is enough. Our women deserve to live, walk, run and exist without fear,” the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation, a charity that campaigns against gender-based violence, said in a statement. [1] President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that South Africa could not allow itself to grow accustomed to such violence and pledged that no stone would be left unturned in the investigations. [1] But policing in South Africa is weakened by corruption and lack of resources. [1] Only about one in ten murders is ever solved. [1] “We need to relook at our policing. The only reason these nine women were found was because there was more police presence in the area. This problem is countrywide,” said Merlize Jogiat of Women for Change, which held a memorial event in Cape Town on Friday. [1] Some women also criticised police advice urging them to take extra precautions when exercising or walking alone. [1] “Stop placing the responsibility of our safety back onto us,” Women for Change said in a social media post. [1] “Women should not have to organise their entire lives around surviving violence and not being next.” [1]

Nigeria secures scene after 37 miners die in custody

The Nigeria Police Force has secured the scene of the incident in Niger State where 37 suspected illegal miners died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as part of efforts to preserve evidence for investigation. [2] The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, disclosed this on Saturday after inspecting the scene alongside the Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, and other security officials. [2] Disu said the scene had to be secured and preserved to ensure that nothing was removed or added before investigations were concluded. [2] He said, “We have to keep the place safe, we have to keep it clean, we have to ensure that nothing is removed and nothing is added in the scene of the incident.” [2] The IGP said the police and other security agencies had moved around the area following demonstrations and riots sparked by the deaths, noting that the situation had become calm after the governor imposed a curfew. [2] “We noticed before past two, three hours ago, there have been a kind of demonstration, riot. People want to take laws into their hands, but luckily, decisively, the governor of the state have declared a curfew and the town is calm,” he said. [2] Disu appealed to residents to maintain peace, assuring them that the investigation would be transparent and that no relevant information would be concealed. [2] “We assure them that nothing will be kept out from their knowledge, we will not hide anything, and we will be transparent,” he said. [2] He said the police would work with the committee set up by the state government, the NSCDC and other security agencies to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths. [2] “The governor at the same time have set up a committee. We are going to work with the committee, we are going to work with the NSCDC and other security agencies to ensure that the truth is unravelled,” Disu said. [2] The deaths followed the arrest of suspected illegal miners at an illegal mining site in the state. [2] Bago had earlier said it was too early to determine the cause of the deaths, listing overcrowding and possible poisoning among the factors being investigated. [2] The governor said preliminary autopsy findings showed that some of the corpses had burns and peeling skin, while there was also foaming from the mouth and blood stains. [2] The state government has suspended mining activities across Niger pending the outcome of investigations, while the Federal Ministry of Mines has constituted a team of scientists and laboratory experts to investigate the incident. [2] The deaths had also triggered demonstrations and attacks on public and private property in parts of the state, prompting the governor to impose a curfew. [2]

Enugu politician stabbed to death at home

Some armed hoodlums have killed a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Enugu State, Ikechukwu Oloto. [3] PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Mr Oloto was killed by the hoodlums who invaded his residence on Thursday evening at Odenigbo, Nsukka Local Government Area of the state. [3] Sources said the politician was stabbed repeatedly by the armed men during the attack. [3] When contacted on Saturday morning, the police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES. [3] Mr Ndukwe, a superintendent of police, said the command received a report at about 5:45 p.m. on 17 September that Mr Oloto was “found in a pool of blood” in his residence. [3] “Operatives promptly responded and found him with deep suspected machete cuts to his head and stomach. [3] He was rushed to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead by the attending doctor,” he said in a short message forwarded to this newspaper via WhatsApp. [3] The spokesperson said the body of the deceased had been deposited at a mortuary for preservation and autopsy. [3] The police, he said, have launched a manhunt for the attackers. [3] Reacting in a Facebook post on Friday, the Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area, Chinedu Asogwa, described the killing as “an act of pure wickedness.” [3] Mr Asogwa, who condemned the attack, vowed to track down the killers. [3] “To the family of Mr Oloto, I share in your pain. This administration stands with you in this moment of grief. [3] To the good people of Nsukka, be assured: we are on top of the situation, and we will not rest until the perpetrators of this heinous act are tracked down and brought to justice,” he said. [3] “Every instrument of government at our disposal, security personnel, intelligence networks, and community partnerships, will be deployed to protect lives, restore confidence, and ensure that criminals have no hiding place in Nsukka.” [3]

Ghana-linked cocaine shipment seized in France

Lawyer and Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has called for the arrest of everyone involved in the handling of a container loaded with cocaine that was shipped from Ghana. [4] His comments follow the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of suspected cocaine by French customs at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10. [4] The consignment, concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had departed from Ghana, was valued at about €225 million. [4] Mr Bentil said the sheer quantity of the illicit substance suggested that those behind the shipment believed the container would pass through Ghanaian security and customs checks without being detected. [4] Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, he said individuals attempting to export smaller quantities of narcotics typically go to significant lengths to conceal them because they expect to be searched. [4] “People do these things and hide it. They swallow it. They put it in all kinds of secret compartments because they know they'll be searched and they are trying to conceal it. But if somebody is exporting tonnes of it, container loads of it, then the person expects that it will go through.” [4] According to Mr Bentil, the shipment raises questions about whether those involved believed they could rely on weaknesses or complicity within the system. [4] “The person expects that the people who are supposed to check will not check. The person expects that they will have the complicity of the system. And guess what? It worked, because he wasn't arrested in Ghana.” [4] Mr Bentil therefore called for all individuals involved in the chain of handling the container to be arrested and investigated. [4] “If I were anywhere near power, everybody in that chain would be arrested.” [4] He further warned that the movement of container-load quantities of narcotics through Ghana could damage the country's reputation and raise concerns about its role in the international drug trade. [4] “When you export container loads, tonnes of narcotics, you are a major drug place.” [4]

Florida law professor's ex-mother-in-law convicted in murder-for-hire

After leaving the gym, Dan Markel drove home expecting an ordinary day. [5] Instead, his killer was waiting for him. [5] As he arrived home, the prominent Florida State University law professor was talking on the phone with music teacher Stewart Schlazer about school options for his children. [5] Then the conversation took a terrifying turn. [5] "Can you please hold on a second? There's an unfamiliar person in my driveway," Markel said. [5] Seconds later, Schlazer heard what he described as "a loud boom." [5] Markel was shot in the head while sitting in his car in the garage of his Tallahassee, Florida, home on July 18, 2014. [5] The 41-year-old died the following day. [5] Prosecutors said the custody dispute became the catalyst for a murder-for-hire plot that would take years to unravel. [5] They argued at trial that Donna helped orchestrate Markel’s killing after he stood in the way of letting her daughter and two young grandsons make the move south. [5] They also revealed that her son Charlie Adelson arranged for Markel's killing through his then-girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua, who connected him to Sigfredo Garcia, the father of her children, and Garcia's friend Luis Rivera. [5] Prosecutors said Garcia shot Markel while Rivera drove the getaway car. [5] In 2025, Donna was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder. [5] She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. [5]

Broader context of investigations and public anger

Only about one in ten murders is ever solved in South Africa. [1] “We need to relook at our policing. The only reason these nine women were found was because there was more police presence in the area. This problem is countrywide,” said Merlize Jogiat of Women for Change. [1] The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, appealed to residents to maintain peace, assuring them that the investigation would be transparent and that no relevant information would be concealed. [2] “We assure them that nothing will be kept out from their knowledge, we will not hide anything, and we will be transparent,” he said. [2] Over the next decade, investigators used cellphone records, surveillance video, financial records and secretly recorded conversations to build the case against Donna Adelson. [5] “Investigators suspected members of the family were involved, but weren't able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt for a really long time,” Fletcher said. [5]

What to watch next: Police have launched a manhunt for the attackers in the Enugu case, while committees in Niger State continue work with the NSCDC and other agencies to establish the circumstances of the miners’ deaths.