‘This is a war’: South Africa battles femicide as women’s bodies pile up

Live updates

1. 3h ago

   Nine women found dead near Johannesburg spark serial killer fears

   South African police are investigating the deaths of nine women found in the Dawn Park area of Kempton Park. The discovery has triggered widespread fear and anger, leading to protests and memorial runs. Authorities in Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, are examining all possibilities to determine if the killings are linked. This surge in violence has intensified national concerns over femicide, with victims and advocates describing the environment for women as feeling like a prison.

   Why it matters

   Femicide is a systemic issue in South Africa that often leads to mass protests when spikes in violence occur. The concentration of these specific deaths in one region suggests a potential pattern of targeted killings.

   What is confirmed

   • Nine women's bodies have been found in Dawn Park, Kempton Park.
   • Police are investigating whether the killings are linked.
   • The deaths have prompted protests and memorial runs in South Africa.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The killings may be the work of a serial killer.

   What to watch next

   • Identification of a suspect in the Kempton Park killings.
   Sources used for this update (8)

   1. BBC — Kempton Park killings: Ninth woman's body found in South Africa's Dawn Park
   2. Al Jazeera — ‘This is a war’: South Africa battles femicide as women’s bodies pile up
   3. NPR — South Africa ‘feels like a prison’ for women amid spate of femicides
   4. CNN — ‘Women are terrified’: Ninth body found as South African police probe series of killings
   5. The Telegraph — Serial killer fears in Johannesburg after ninth body found
   6. washingtonpost.com — Nine bodies found in South Africa raise fears of serial murder, femicide
   7. www.aljazeera.com — Fear and anger in South Africa as bodies of nine women found: What we know
   8. thegrio.com — South Africans mourn nine women as killings renew anger over femicide
   confidence 90%