South African police have offered a financial reward for information that could lead to the arrest of those responsible for a series of murders in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg.
Police recovered the ninth body on Thursday, further fuelling public concern over the killings. So far, three of the victims have been identified.
The reward amounting to R400,000 ($24.600) was announced during a media briefing on measures to apprehend the perpetrators, as police continue to investigate the deaths of women whose bodies have been found across the area in less than two months.
Authorities say they are conducting a major operation to find those responsible, but have cautioned against treating the cases as linked until investigations establish a connection.
National crisis
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the discovery of the women’s bodies in the City of Ekurhuleni in less than two months a national crisis.
Residents of Villa Liza in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, said they were living in fear following the discovery of the ninth woman’s body in the area on Thursday morning, according to SABC News.
Residents who gathered in large numbers at the crime scene said they were too scared to venture out of their homes.
Speaking to SABC News, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said, “We’ll get them. They must not despair, and they must not lose hope and feel otherwise. We’ll get them.”
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said, “The government has prioritised this matter. The President has declared this a national crisis, and I can say that the ministers who are leading on this matter, and for various programmes, including the efforts of the South African Police Service, every effort is being made to overcome this terrible scourge.”
