A ninth woman's body is found in South Africa as police investigate series of killings

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JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African police said Thursday a ninth woman’s body has been discovered in an area east of Johannesburg, and said it could be linked to a series of killings they are investigating.

All nine bodies were found in the Ekurhuleni municipality over the last two months, raising concerns that they were carried out by the same person or people. Police previously said that some similarities in the killings of the first eight victims were “sufficiently concerning for the police to issue a public warning.”

The discoveries have sent shock waves around the country, sparked a high-level investigation and highlighted the scourge of femicide and high levels of violent crime.

Police said the discovery of the latest body early Thursday “will be added to the investigations into the deaths of women in Ekurhuleni.”

Provincial police commissioner Fred Kekana said a passerby found the woman’s body near a construction site and alerted police.

The unidentified woman appeared to be about 30 and had an apparent stab wound to her side, while her throat appeared to have been cut, he said. Forensic investigators had not yet determined the official cause of death.

Kekana said police had not established whether her death was linked to the other cases and appealed for information from the public.

He also urged people not to circulate photographs of the bodies or unverified reports on social media, warning that they were spreading fear and could encourage copycat crimes.

A multidisciplinary team of experts has been assigned to investigate the cases and identify those responsible. Police appealed to the public for information.

So far, the bodies had been found across several Ekurhuleni communities, including Kempton Park, Pomona, Clayville, Olifantsfontein, Rhodesfield, KwaThema and Dawn Park.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said police were pursuing leads and making progress in two or three cases, although he did not provide details. He urged the public to give investigators time to gather sufficient evidence.

“They’ve declared war against the state. We’ll respond,” Lesufi told reporters at the scene. “We’re not going to surrender.”

Missing In Southern Africa, which supports missing people and their families, urged communities and families to report immediately when they suspected.

The organization said the discoveries had deepened the anguish of families searching for loved ones and urged people to report disappearances immediately.

“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.”