As the number of women found dead across Ekurhuleni continues to grow, we have heard many of the names, the locations where their bodies were discovered, and the growing fears among communities. But behind every one of those bodies is a woman who had a family, relationships, dreams and a life that existed long before she became part of a police investigation. One of those women was 32-year-old Itumeleng Kekana, originally from QwaQwa in the Free State. She disappeared from Kempton Park on the evening of July 17. Her family spent 17 days searching
for her, going from hospitals and clinics to police stations and mortuaries, holding onto the hope that they would find her alive. Instead, they were eventually called to identify her body after it was
found near a bridge along the R21. And perhaps because so much attention has understandably
focused on the growing number of women being found, Itumeleng herself risks becoming another name in a list. But for her family, she was not a statistic. She was a mother, a daughter, a sister and a
woman remembered as humble and loving — and a huge Orlando Pirates supporter. Today, we want to slow down and hear more about Itumeleng: who she was, what happened during those 17
days of searching, and what her family needs answers to now. We speak to the family spokesperson.