Police in South Africa have recovered the remains of another woman in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, raising to 10 the number of females found dead in the area in recent months.
The latest victim was discovered on Saturday morning at a cemetery in Tembisa, north-east of Johannesburg.
A friend who had accompanied her to a bar the night before reportedly identified her from the clothes she was wearing.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the woman’s identity.
Forensic officers were deployed to the location to examine the scene and collect evidence as investigations continue.
Gauteng Police Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said investigators were examining possible connections between the latest case and the previous deaths.
He said police had observed similarities among the earlier victims, including what he described as comparable victim profiles and methods of killing.
Mthombeni cautioned, however, that investigators had not established that a serial murderer was responsible.
“At this stage, we cannot rule out that possibility, but we also cannot confirm it,” he said.
The deaths have generated widespread concern across South Africa, where violence against women remains a major social issue.
Most of the previous victims were young women, while several had reportedly suffered severe injuries before their deaths.
The majority of the bodies were recovered in Kempton Park, which is close to Tembisa, after a series of discoveries beginning in July.
Another body was also found in Soweto, although investigators are yet to establish whether that case is connected.
The latest incident has intensified calls for stronger measures against gender-based violence, coming less than a year after the South African government classified the issue as a national disaster.
Official police figures do not record homicide victims according to gender.
However, the South African Human Rights Commission reported that 569 women were killed and another 1,052 survived attempted murder between April and June this year.
South Africa recorded 5,427 murders during the same three-month period, highlighting the country’s continuing struggle with violent crime.
Meanwhile, three men appeared in court earlier this week over allegations linked to one of the previous nine deaths.
Investigators are also pursuing additional suspects believed to have played a role in the killings.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong