10th woman found dead in South Africa’s Ekurhuleni killings

South African police have discovered the body of another woman in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, bringing to 10 the number of women found dead in the municipality over the past two months.

The latest discovery has heightened concerns over violence against women in South Africa, as investigators work to determine whether the deaths are connected.

Police said the woman’s semi-naked body was found near a cemetery in Tembisa township on Saturday.

“At this stage, we can only confirm the discovery of the body. Crime scene management and all the necessary role players are currently on the scene,” police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said.

Provincial police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said the victim appeared to have suffered fatal injuries after being struck with stones. He added that a post-mortem examination would be conducted to establish the exact cause of death.

“We have put highly capable investigators on this case,” Mthombeni told reporters at the scene, pledging that police would work to identify and arrest those responsible.

The nine other victims were mostly women in their 20s and 30s. Some were reportedly found without clothing and with indications of sexual assault.

The first victim, a 37-year-old woman, was found naked and bound with cable ties on July 15. A suspect was arrested two days later.

Two other suspects, women aged 31 and 38, were arrested in connection with the ninth victim and charged on Monday. Police have said that case may have been linked to a relationship-related dispute.

Police have offered a 400,000 rand ($25,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspected killer or killers. South Africa’s Democratic Alliance has announced an additional $31,000 reward.

The deaths have renewed scrutiny of gender-based violence in South Africa, where authorities have faced sustained pressure to address violence against women.

The South African government said last week that its Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Command Centre received 6,782 distress calls between September 1 and 16, averaging 424 calls a day.

The figure represented a 21% increase compared with the same period in August, when the centre averaged about 350 calls per day.

South Africa, with a population of about 62 million, continues to record one of the world’s highest murder rates, with more than 60 killings reported on average each day.

Investigators are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and whether the cases form part of a connected series of killings.