South African police have recovered the body of a ninth woman in the Ekurhuleni municipality, east of Johannesburg, as authorities investigate a series of female deaths reported in the area over the past two months.
The latest discovery on Thursday, September 17, has heightened concern among residents and prompted the Nigerian Consulate-General in Johannesburg to issue a safety advisory to Nigerians living in affected areas.
Police said the latest body was found by a passerby near a roadside in Dawn Park, Boksburg. Authorities have not yet established whether the latest death is connected to the eight previous cases under investigation.
Deputy National Commissioner of Police Tebello Mosikili said authorities were concerned by the growing number of bodies being discovered.
“We cannot continue picking up bodies,” Mosikili told journalists at the scene of the latest discovery.
South African police have imposed a lockdown in parts of Kempton Park and established roadblocks following the discovery of three partially naked bodies in the area this week.
Police have also offered a 400,000-rand reward for information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrator or perpetrators. The Democratic Alliance has reportedly offered an additional reward of about $31,000.
Gauteng police commissioner Fred Kekana said investigators were examining evidence, timelines, locations, victim profiles and circumstances surrounding each case to determine whether they were connected.
However, police have cautioned against prematurely describing the deaths as the work of a serial killer.
Authorities are considering several possibilities, including the involvement of multiple suspects or separate perpetrators. Police said similarities among some of the cases were sufficiently concerning to warrant heightened investigation and public safety measures.
The victims were women in their 20s and 30s, and police said several were found naked or partially clothed. Some cases also involved similar signs of bruising.
The first body in the series was reportedly discovered on July 17. A suspect believed to have been the victim’s boyfriend was arrested in connection with that case, although police had not filed charges against him at the time of reporting.
Nigeria Issues Safety Advisory
The Nigerian Consulate-General in Johannesburg had already issued a safety advisory on September 16 following reports of eight women’s deaths in and around Ekurhuleni.
The advisory covers Nigerians living in Kempton Park, Rhodesfield and surrounding areas and urges members of the Nigerian community, particularly women and girls, to exercise heightened vigilance while the investigation continues.
The consulate said a multidisciplinary investigation team involving specialised law-enforcement personnel had been deployed by the South African Police Service.
It said investigators had identified concerning similarities in some of the cases but stressed that SAPS had not established that all the deaths were caused by one individual or confirmed the existence of a serial killer.
The Nigerian mission also warned Nigerians against sharing unverified photographs, names, videos, voice notes or allegations identifying suspected perpetrators on social media.
According to the consulate, spreading unverified information could prejudice ongoing investigations, harm innocent people and undermine the work of law-enforcement authorities.
The advisory was not intended to restrict the lawful movement of Nigerians or create panic, the mission said, but to encourage residents to take reasonable precautions while authorities establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The consulate urged Nigerians with credible information about the cases to report directly to South African police rather than circulate allegations online.
Police Intensify Investigation
The latest discovery has intensified pressure on South African authorities to identify those responsible for the deaths and determine whether the cases are connected.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged that authorities will conduct a thorough investigation, while police have advised women in affected communities to exercise extreme caution and avoid travelling alone where possible.
The deaths have also renewed concerns about violence against women in South Africa, where gender-based violence remains a major public safety issue.
For Nigerians living in the affected areas, the consulate has advised increased vigilance and cooperation with South African authorities.
The investigation remains ongoing, and police have yet to confirm whether the nine deaths were carried out by the same person or group.
