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World

Eleventh woman's body found near Johannesburg as police investigate string of killings

An 11th woman's body has been found in Ekurhuleni since mid-July, deepening fears of a serial killer as police hold four suspects and President Ramaphosa condemns the killings.

By Sarah Whitfield · · 2 min read

South African police have discovered the body of an 11th woman east of Johannesburg, intensifying an investigation into a string of killings that has raised fears of a serial killer operating in the Ekurhuleni municipality.

Police said the latest victim was found in an open field at about midday local time on Sunday. “A security company vehicle patrolling the area noticed the body and alerted the police,” police spokeswoman Brigadier Brenda Muridili said. Details of the woman’s identity, age and cause of death were not immediately available.

The discovery came a day after the body of a semi-naked woman was found near a cemetery in the same municipality on Saturday. Provincial police chief Tommy Mthombeni said that victim appeared to have been stoned to death, though a post-mortem examination would determine the cause.

According to the Springs Advertiser, the latest victim was found in Struisbult, Springs, and was estimated to be about 20 years old. Mthombeni told reporters at the scene that she was partially unclothed with a neck injury indicating possible strangulation.

Eleven bodies of women have now been found in Ekurhuleni since mid-July. Eight of the victims were discovered this month. Police said a man linked to the killings was arrested almost 400km away, bringing the number of people in custody to four.

President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged the recovery of the 10th victim while campaigning for upcoming local elections. “This continues to make us very sad, and in many ways, it’s a shame on the men of South Africa that we continue to kill the women of our beautiful country,” he said, according to broadcaster eNCA.

Mthombeni told state broadcaster SABC that two women have been charged over the ninth victim, found on September 17, and that killing may have stemmed from a relationship dispute and could be an isolated case. He cautioned there is no conclusive evidence that one person or group is behind the other deaths.

South Africa has one of the highest femicide rates in the world, with an average of 15 women killed per day. Between September 1 and 16, the national gender-based violence command centre received 6,782 distress calls — an average of 424 per day, up 21 per cent on August.

Sources

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