For the women of Ekurhuleni, the fear has seeped into daily life. On Sunday, at about midday local time, a security company vehicle patrolling an open field in the municipality east of Johannesburg spotted a body and alerted police. That discovery brought the number of female bodies found near the country’s commercial capital since mid-July to 11. It came just one day after another woman was found semi-naked near a cemetery in the same municipality.
Police spokeswoman Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed the latest find, but details about the woman’s identity, age and cause of death were not immediately available. Provincial police chief Tommy Mthombeni said the victim found on Saturday appeared to have been stoned to death, though a post-mortem examination would be conducted to determine the cause.
For residents, the question hanging over the community is whether these deaths are connected. Police are still working to establish that. Community concerns persist that the murders are being carried out by the same killer or killers. Mthombeni told state broadcaster SABC that some of the murders share similarities, but he cautioned that there is no conclusive evidence to suggest the same person or group is responsible.
Meanwhile, the mounting toll has reached the highest levels of government. President Cyril Ramaphosa, while campaigning for upcoming local elections, acknowledged the recovery of the body of the 10th victim, broadcaster eNCA reported. “I’ve sadly heard about 10th body of a woman found in Thembisa,” Ramaphosa said on Saturday. “This continues to make us very sad, and in many ways, it’s a shame on the men of South Africa that we continue to kill the women of our beautiful country.”
Police said a man linked to the Saturday killing was arrested almost 400km (250 miles) away, bringing the number of people in custody in connection with the series of killings to four. Two women have also been charged with the murder of the woman whose body was the ninth discovered, on September 17. Police have said that killing may have stemmed from a relationship-related matter, and Mthombeni said investigators believe it was an isolated case, though it is possible some of the other killings are connected.
The pattern of discovery stretches back months. Police found three bodies in July and August within 6km (4 miles) of one another in Ekurhuleni. Earlier this month, six bodies were found in 10 days, also in the municipality. Prior to Saturday’s discovery, all of the deceased women were in their 20s or 30s, and several were found completely or partially naked. The first body, discovered in mid-July, was naked and restrained with cable ties. That victim’s boyfriend was subsequently arrested, but no charges were filed.
Behind the statistics lies a broader crisis. South Africa has one of the highest femicide rates in the world, with an average of 15 women killed per day. For the families of the 11 women found near Johannesburg, and for the communities where the bodies were discovered, the deaths are not abstractions but a mounting grief, one that investigators are still working to explain. Whether the arrests now in custody will bring answers remains to be seen.