Ninth woman found dead near Johannesburg

South African police are investigating whether the discovery of a ninth woman’s body east of Johannesburg is linked to a string of killings that has alarmed communities and prompted a high-level police response.

The latest body was found Thursday morning in Dawn Park, part of the Ekurhuleni municipality, where all nine women have been discovered over the past two months. Police said the woman had not been identified. Gauteng provincial police commissioner Fred Kekana said a passerby found the body near a construction site and alerted authorities.

Kekana said the woman appeared to be about 30 years old and had an apparent stab wound to her side, while her throat appeared to have been cut. Forensic investigators had not yet determined an official cause of death. The BBC reported that police said the victim was found half-naked and wrapped in a sheet on the side of a road, and that local media reported she appeared to have bruises and stab wounds.

Police said the latest discovery “will be added to the investigations into the deaths of women in Ekurhuleni.” They have not established whether all the deaths are connected or whether a serial killer is responsible, though they previously said similarities in some of the first eight cases were “sufficiently concerning for the police to issue a public warning.”

The bodies have been found across several Ekurhuleni communities, including Kempton Park, Pomona, Clayville, Olifantsfontein, Rhodesfield, KwaThema and Dawn Park. The BBC reported that the first of the nine bodies was discovered in Kempton Park on July 15 and that a suspect arrested two days later in connection with that case remains in custody, though police have not linked that person to the other deaths.

Among the identified victims, the BBC reported, was 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, who disappeared last week after leaving home for an afternoon run and whose body was found three days later behind a hotel in Kempton Park. Two other victims have been identified as Itumeleng Kekana, who had been missing since July, and 38-year-old Dineo Evelyn Motapane, whose body was found by the roadside in KwaThema on Tuesday.

Police have assigned a multidisciplinary team of detectives, intelligence officers, forensic experts and other specialists to investigate the deaths, identify victims and determine whether the cases are linked. The BBC reported that investigators are pursuing a person of interest, but have not disclosed which case or cases that person may be connected to.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed that “no stone will be left unturned” in finding those responsible, saying the killings were “causing fear and uncertainty in our communities,” the BBC reported.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said police were pursuing leads and making progress in two or three cases, though he did not provide details. “They’ve declared war against the state. We’ll respond,” Lesufi told reporters at the scene. “We’re not going to surrender.” He also said Thursday, “Let’s not get emotional, the gloves are off,” according to the BBC.

Authorities have offered a 400,000 rand reward, about $24,000 or £18,000, for information leading to arrests, the BBC reported. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has cautioned against speculation, saying investigators were dealing with what appeared, at this stage, to be “quite distinct, separate events.”

Kekana urged the public to share information with police and not circulate photographs of bodies or unverified reports on social media, warning that such posts could spread fear and encourage copycat crimes. Missing In Southern Africa, an organization that supports missing people and their families, also urged the public to act quickly. “There is no waiting period to report a missing person,” it said. “The moment you suspect that someone is missing, report it immediately to the South African Police Service.”