"These Teenagers Don’t Listen”: South Africans React After Girls Found in Kempton Park Tavern
- A door-to-door safety campaign in Ekurhuleni uncovered teenage girls, including a 17-year-old, inside a tavern in Kempton Park
- The discovery sparked outrage across South Africa as eight women's bodies were found in Ekurhuleni in the space of two months
- Police urged all women in Gauteng to exercise extreme caution as investigators search for a potential serial killer
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Source: Getty Images
GAUTENG - A safety campaign in Kempton Park turned into a moment of national shock after a group of teenage girls was discovered inside a tavern during a door-to-door operation on 16 September 2026.
The campaign was led by community activist Xolani Khumalo alongside private security personnel and was livestreamed on Facebook. During the operation, the team found several young girls at the tavern. One social media user who watched the livestream noted that one of the girls was only 17 years old. The discovery quickly spread across platforms, drawing fierce reactions from South Africans already on edge.
Ekurhuleni gripped by fear
The timing could not have been more alarming. Since July 2026, eight women's bodies have been discovered across Ekurhuleni. The most recent case involved a runner named Elizabeth, who was reported missing in Kempton Park on 9 September. Her body was found on 12 September. On the same day, two additional bodies were discovered in the area.
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Police have since called on women, not only in Ekurhuleni but across Gauteng, to exercise extreme caution while investigators work to identify a potential serial killer. The string of deaths has fuelled widespread fear and renewed calls for an end to gender-based violence in South Africa.
Social media reactions
Many South Africans reacted not only with grief but with frustration at the teenage girls' decision to be out at a tavern in the middle of the week while the community remains on high alert.
@ResaletengT wrote:
"These teenagers don't listen 😡 Parents please tell your children we've got a crisis in SA. They need to tone down."
@XolaniNyathi12 added: "17 years! What is she doing in a tavern. Even worse still it's during the week she must be focusing on school!"
@Futbal_Thoughts asked:
"Where are the parents or were they born in dysfunction?"
@BBrieZN said:
"What's wrong with these girls. Don't they see what is going on with females 😡 Where are the parents of these girls?"
@betaMarbula raised a more disturbing concern:
"They should also check the brothels in Kempton road and long street. I don't think those girls are there willingly 💔"
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Source: Briefly News
