Tenth Woman Found Dead in South Africa’s Ekurhuleni Area

South African police have found the body of a woman near a cemetery in Tembisa township, bringing to 10 the number of women found dead in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, over a two-month period.

The latest victim was found semi-naked. Police have not released her identity and are investigating whether her death is connected to the nine earlier killings.

Brigadier Brenda Muridili, a police spokeswoman, said investigators and other relevant personnel were at the scene. “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,” she said.

Tommy Mthombeni, the provincial police chief, said the woman appeared to have been stoned to death. A post-mortem examination was due to establish the cause of death.

“We have put highly capable investigators on this case,” Mthombeni said. He also vowed to find those responsible for the killings.

Earlier deaths under investigation

The nine other victims were mostly women in their 20s and 30s. Some were found without clothes and showed signs of sexual assault, according to the report.

The first victim was a 37-year-old woman who was found naked and bound with cable ties on July 15. A suspect was arrested two days later, although the report did not identify that person.

In connection with the ninth victim, two women aged 31 and 38 were arrested and charged on Monday. Police said that killing may have resulted from a relationship-related matter. The available information does not establish whether the latest death was connected to that case or the other killings.

Police have offered a reward of 400,000 rand, or about $25,000, for information leading to the arrest of the killer or killers. The Democratic Alliance has offered an additional $31,000.

Wider gender-based violence concerns

The investigation comes as South Africa continues to face widespread gender-based violence. The government has made repeated pledges to address the problem and has declared it a national disaster.

The national Gender-Based Violence Command Centre received 6,782 distress calls between September 1 and 16, an average of 424 calls a day. The government said that was a 21 percent increase from the daily average of 350 calls during the same period in August.

South Africa, whose population is about 62 million, also has one of the world’s highest murder rates, with more than 60 killings recorded on average each day, according to the report.