11 Women Found Dead In 10 Weeks In South African Municipality

South African police have confirmed the discovery of another woman’s body in the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg, bringing to 11 the number of women found dead in the area over the past 10 weeks.

Eight of the victims were discovered this month alone, with the killings raising fresh concerns over gender-based violence in a country that has one of the highest murder rates per capita in the world.

The latest body was discovered around midday on Sunday in an open veld in Ekurhuleni.

According to police spokesperson Brig. Brenda Muridili, a security company vehicle patrolling the area spotted the body and alerted the police.

“A security company vehicle patrolling the area noticed the body and alerted the police,” Muridili said.

Police said the identity and age of the latest victim, as well as the circumstances surrounding her death, were not immediately known.

The discovery came a day after the body of a semi-naked woman was found near a cemetery in the same municipality.

Provincial police chief Tommy Mthombeni said the woman appeared to have been stoned to death, although a post-mortem examination would be conducted to establish the exact cause of death.

Police also said a man suspected of being linked to the killing was arrested nearly 400 kilometres (250 miles) away after leaving the area.

The arrest brings to four the number of people currently in police custody in connection with the killings.

However, authorities said they had not established any link between the separate cases.

The nine other victims were mostly women in their 20s and 30s. Some were found partially or completely undressed and had signs consistent with sexual assault.

The latest killings have renewed concerns over gender-based violence in South Africa, where the government has faced years of pressure to tackle violence against women and girls.

The government has declared gender-based violence a national disaster, but cases continue to generate widespread concern.

Data from the national GBV Command Centre showed that it received 6,782 distress calls between September 1 and 16, an average of 424 calls per day.

The figure represented a 21 per cent increase compared with the same period in August.

AFP