Online Reporter
AT birth, Gracious Nkomo was given a first name which, in general, represents warmth, kindness, charm, respect and being merciful and compassionate.
In death, the 28-year-old Zimbabwean woman experienced exactly the opposite of what her name represented – brutality, savagery, cruelty, ruthlessness and viciousness.
Gracious could have tried her luck as a model and she would probably have transformed herself into a very successful one.
She could also even have taken a crack at the Miss Zimbabwe beauty contest and probably shone at the pageant.
Her stunning beauty was the type which organisers of beauty contests, like the Miss Zimbabwe pageant, dream of.
But, Gracious chose a different path and different way of life – she worked at a lodge in Kempton Park, South Africa.
Her adopted home was in Pretoria.
“She was a happy person, she was usually quiet,” a relative said.
Today, her family is devastated.
Gracious’ body was positively identified as one of the nine women whose mysterious deaths in Gauteng have gripped the country and, in a way, the world.
“Her face was swollen,” the relative added.
“We don’t have all the information about what happened to her, the police are investigating.”
The South African Police Services also confirmed this in a social media post.
“The family of 28-year-old Gracious Nkomo has positively identified her as one of the women whose bodies were discovered along the R21 in Kempton Park.
“Nkomo was the third woman whose body was discovered in the Kempton Park area on 10 September 2026.
“She was found partially clothed.
“She was identified by her family at the Germiston Mortuary.”
The SAPS added:
“The South African Police Service continues to investigate the murder of Nkomo, as well as the other cases involving women whose bodies have been discovered in the area.
“Acting National Commissioner of the SAPS, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, says investigations are progressing, with a multidisciplinary team of investigators working around the clock to establish the circumstances surrounding the murders and identify those responsible.”
Lieutenant General Dimpane said:
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Gracious Nkomo during this extremely difficult time.”
In death, Gracious’ name is trending around the world as the leading global media organisations, including CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera, have been covering the tragedy.
During the weekend South Africans gathered for memorial runs and protests amid anger and fear over the violent deaths of the nine women in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg.
The women were killed over the past two months. Most of the victims, like Gracious, were in their 20s and 30s.
Some were found stripped of their clothes and showed signs of sexual assault.
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.
Runners lit candles and carried a banner reading: “Enough. Stop Femicide.”
“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.
“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.”
A TIMELINE OF THE GRIM BODY DISCOVERIES IN GAUTENG
• July 15 – 37-year-old woman found naked near R21, restrained with cable ties. One suspect arrested and remains in custody.
• August 24 – 32-year-old woman found half-naked near R21.
• Sept 10 – Three women, including Gracious Nkomo, found in the Kempton Park area of Johannesburg.
• Sept 12 – 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo found behind a hotel in Rhodesfield.
• Sept 14 – Fifth body found in Olifantsfontein.
• Sept 17 – Ninth body found in Dawn Park – H-Metro Reporter/Reuters/Agencies
