Killings in Johannesburg East Spark Lockdown, Roadblocks and Fresh Public Anxiety
South African police have recovered the ninth body of a woman in two months in the area east of Johannesburg, as a string of killings continues to raise public concern.
Police have imposed a lockdown in Kempton Park, in the Ekurhuleni municipality, and introduced roadblocks after three partially naked bodies were discovered this week.
Deputy Police Chief Tebello Mosikili said authorities could not continue finding bodies without bringing those responsible to justice.
Police have offered a 400,000-rand ($25,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspected killer or killers, while the Democratic Alliance has offered an additional $31,000.
Mosikili said investigators would determine whether Thursday’s discovery was connected to the earlier killings or whether a copycat was responsible.
One of the victims, 38-year-old Elizabeth Moselakgomo, disappeared after leaving her eight-year-old daughter at home to go jogging. Her body was found on September 12 behind a hotel.
Her disappearance gained widespread attention after fellow runners launched a social media campaign to find her, drawing renewed attention to previous cases and subsequent discoveries.
The first victim, a 37-year-old woman, was found naked and bound with cable ties on July 15. Police said a suspect was arrested two days later and appeared in court on Wednesday.
Mosikili said the suspect was a foreign national but did not disclose his country of origin.
A second woman, aged 32, was found partially clothed on August 24, while a third was discovered naked and in an advanced state of decomposition on September 10.