South Africa police have cautioned against assuming that all the killings are linked but many women are afraid.
Police in South Africa have confirmed the discovery of a ninth woman's body in just two months, amid growing concern over a string of unexplained deaths east of Johannesburg.
The latest victim was found half-naked and wrapped in a sheet on the side of a road in Dawn Park on Thursday morning, police said. Her identity has not yet been released.
The discovery follows the deaths of eight other women whose bodies have been found since July across Ekurhuleni, a major urban area of Johannesburg.
Several of the women were found partially clothed and with injuries, but police have stressed that they have not established whether all the deaths are connected or whether a serial killer is responsible.
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The latest body is of a woman believed to be in her 30s and appeared to have bruises and stab wounds, local media reported.
The discovery has sparked fear in the area, particularly among women who say they no longer feel safe.
"We are scared to come out of our houses. We are scared to go to the shops. We are no longer free in a country where we are supposed to be safe as women," local resident Bongeka Sebela told the BBC.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed that "no stone will be left unturned" in finding those behind the killings , which he said were "causing fear and uncertainty in our communities".
Among the victims was 38-year-old Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo, who disappeared last week after leaving her home for an afternoon run. Her body was found three days later behind a hotel in Kempton Park.
Two other victims have since been identified as Itumeleng Kekana, who had been missing since July, and 38-year-old Dineo Evelyn Motapane, whose body was discovered by the roadside in KwaThema on Tuesday.
The first of the nine bodies was discovered in Kempton Park on 15 July. A suspect was arrested two days later in connection with that case and remains in custody, but police have not linked that suspect to the other deaths.
Further bodies were discovered in August and September, including in Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, Clayville and KwaThema.
Police have assembled a multidisciplinary team of detectives, intelligence officers, forensic experts and other specialists to investigate the deaths and establish whether there are links between the cases.
Reporting synthesized and verified under Nexvoro.tech editorial guidelines. Full primary records referenced via BBC World.
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