South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed that “no stone will be left unturned” in finding those behind the killings of several women in and around the town of Kempton Park, north-east of Johannesburg, over the last two months.
Another body was discovered on Tuesday morning and police say their investigation now includes the deaths of seven women most of whom have been found either partially or fully naked.
“These incidents are causing fear and uncertainty in our communities, and especially among women,” the president said.
Police say they are not linking the deaths to a serial killer at this stage, but are investigating the possibility that a group of people is behind the killings.
“[It] could be that it’s a copycat crime that is happening right here but so far, no linkages as yet,” police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said.
One arrest has been made in connection with the discovery of the first body. The person is still in police custody.
So far only two of the seven women have been identified.
On Monday, police said that one of them was Elizabeth Moselakgomo, a runner whose disappearance last week sparked a frantic and public search for her.
President Ramaphosa said he had directed that the cases be prioritised: “Our law enforcement agencies are working urgently to establish the facts, keep communities safe and bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice.”
South Africa experiences some of the world’s highest levels of gender-based violence (GBV), with the rate at which women are killed five times higher than the global average, according to UN Women.
The discoveries of the bodies have sparked outrage and fear across the country, with many criticising the authorities for failing to adequately protect women.
Moselakgomo was identified by her relatives on Monday after her body was discovered on Saturday. It was the 38-year-old’s young daughter who raised the alarm about her disappearance after she failed to return from her daily run last Wednesday.
The body of the first woman was found in mid-July, the second in late August – the others were discovered this month, two in the last two days.
On Tuesday, police said that the body of woman found on 7 September in a town nearby Kempton Park was also being included – bringing the total number of bodies being investigated to seven.
“After noticing that there are bodies being picked up, we went back to our police stations… and unfortunately it came to light that a body of a female in her late 20s was observed in a river next to a mall,” Maj-Gen Fred Kekana, acting police chief for Gauteng province, said at a briefing.
Police have urged women in the Kempton Park area – which is by South Africa’s main international airport – to avoid walking or running alone “particularly in isolated areas”.
South Africa’s Commission for Gender Equality urged residents of Kempton Park to work with the police to find the perpetrators.
“These deaths are indicative that women in South Africa continue to face environments in which their ordinary freedom of movement can become a matter of life and death,” it said.
“Women should be able to run, walk to work, use public transport, return home, visit friends and participate in community life without having to calculate whether an ordinary activity could place their lives at risk.”