Women living in fear after body of ninth victim found outside Johannesburg

Fears are mounting in Johannesburg that a serial killer may be targeting women on the outskirts of of South Africa’s largest city.

The bodies of nine women have been found in the eastern Ekurhuleni municipality in the last two months.

The last five bodies were discovered in the space of four days this week.

Police say that the proximity of where the bodies were found and other similarities are sufficiently concerning to investigate if the killings were possibly carried out by a serial killer.

Now they are appealing to the public for information.

"If we are citizens and we have, you know, that heart and that commitment that we know something like this is not correct to happen, you will come forward and give information whether there’s a reward or not," Tebello Mosikili, Deputy National Police Commissioner, said on Thursday. She was speaking in Boksburg, Dawn Park, the crime scene where the ninth body was discovered.

"A reward has been declared and will be paid to a deserving informant that will come forward with the information and that information must come now because we cannot continue like this as South Africans.”

The first five bodies were discovered in or near the town of Kempton Park on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

The others were found in separate locations between 25 kilometers and 35 kilometers away.

Some of the bodies were discovered in open areas near major roads.

Police say the killings may have taken place in different locations to where the bodies were found.

The victims were all in the 20s and 30s and were found naked or partially clothed. Some of the bodies had similar bruising.

Women in the area say they’re living in fear.

"I hope the government can assist us by arresting the person/people who’s been committing these killings, because the current situation is becoming unbearable," said local resident Nomgqibelo Tshabalala. "We can’t eat, we can’t do anything because we’re scared and don’t know what's to happen next. We ask the for government assistance and find those involved and arrest them. The situation is becoming worse worse.”

The killings have highlighted the high rates of femicide and violent crime in South Africa and sparked a renewed outcry over the safety of women.

Between April and July of this year, South Africa recorded an average of 45 homicides a day.

Femicide rates in the country are among the highest in the world, according to the United Nations.