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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.”
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