Police find 11th woman’s body near Johannesburg as killings investigated

South African police found another woman’s body in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, on Sunday, bringing to 11 the number of female bodies discovered in the area since mid-July.

Police said a security patrol spotted the latest victim in an open field at about midday and alerted authorities. Her identity, age and cause of death were not immediately disclosed.

The discovery came a day after a semi-naked woman was found near a cemetery in the Tembisa area of Ekurhuleni. A friend identified her from clothing she had worn when they visited a bar the previous evening. Gauteng provincial police chief Tommy Mthombeni said she appeared to have been stoned, although a post-mortem examination would determine the cause of death.

Police arrested a man about 400km away in connection with Saturday’s killing, according to Al Jazeera. That arrest brought to four the number of people detained in cases connected with the recent discoveries. Two women have been charged over the ninth victim’s death, which investigators believe may have been an isolated, relationship-related case.

Investigators have not established that all the deaths are linked. Mthombeni said several victims shared similarities and some killings could be connected, but police did not yet have conclusive evidence that one person or group was responsible.

The deaths have intensified public concern over violence against women in South Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the killings on Saturday after the 10th body was recovered.