18/09/2026
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18/09/2026
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JOHANNESBURG (AP), Sep 18: South African police said a ninth woman’s body was discovered on Thursday in an area east of Johannesburg, where they are investigating a series of killings over the past two months that have sparked acute fears in the community.
All nine bodies were found in the Ekurhuleni municipality, raising concerns that the killings were carried out by the same person or people. Police previously said that some similarities in the killings of the first eight victims were “sufficiently concerning for the police to issue a public warning.”
The discoveries have sent shock waves around the country, sparked a high-level investigation and highlighted the scourges 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.”
Police warn against circulating photos of the bodies on social media
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.
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.
Residents of Dawn Park, the Johannesburg suburb where the ninth body was found on Thursday, were stunned by the discovery.
“I hope the government can assist us by arresting the person or people who have been committing these killings, because the current situation is becoming unbearable. We don’t know what’s to happen next,” Dawn Park resident Nomgqibelo Tshabalala said.
A multidisciplinary team of experts is investigating.
