The bodies of nine women have been found in South Africa’s Ekurhuleni municipality over the past two months, prompting police to investigate potential connections between the crimes.
asserted
bodies → find → crimes
The apparent murders, which bear similarities, have shaken the country, long plagued by high rates of crime and femicide and sparked fears that one or more offenders could strike again.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa, who urged men to play a greater part in preventing violence against women and girls, has ordered the police to leave “no stone unturned” in their pursuit of justice.
uncertain
who → bear → justice
The rate at which women are killed in South Africa is five times higher than the global average, according to figures from UN Women.
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women → kill → Women
Here’s what we know so far:
When was the latest killing?
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killing → ’ → what
South African police made their latest discovery on Thursday, September 17 , when they found the body of a woman in Dawn Park on the outskirts of Johannesburg in Ekurhuleni municipality.
asserted
they → make → municipality
Local police said the unidentified, partially clothed woman, believed to be around 30, had been stabbed and dumped before being discovered.
asserted
woman → say → ?
Police said she may have been killed at another location before her body was moved to the park.
uncertain
body → say → park
She is the ninth known woman to be killed in similar circumstances since July 17 .
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She → know → July
Where were the other bodies found?
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bodies → find → ?
All the murdered women were found in Ekurhuleni municipality in the greater Johannesburg area.
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women → murder → area
The first five bodies were found in the Kempton Park area.
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bodies → find → area
The others were found in separate locations 25-35km away.
asserted
others → find → locations
Dawn Park, where the latest body was found, is about 30km south of Kempton Park.
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body → find → Park
Do we know who the victims are?
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victims → know → ?
Of the nine women whose bodies have been discovered, only four have been identified, according to local media.
uncertain
four → discover → media
The battered and burned body of Dineo Motapane, a 38-year-old mother of two, was discovered this week in a residential area of Ekurhuleni.
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body → batter → Ekurhuleni
The body of 28-year-old Gracious Nkomo, also partially clothed, was found on September 10, having been dumped on the R21 highway in Kempton Park.
Last week, 38-year-old Elizabeth Moselakgomo was also found dead in Kempton Park.
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Moselakgomo → clothe → Park
Local media reported that her young daughter alerted the police when she failed to return from a run.
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she → report → run
Her bruised and partially clothed body was found dumped on a bridge in July, 17 days after she was last seen by family members.
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she → clothe → members
Five of the women have not yet been identified.
asserted
Five → identify → women
Are the killings related?
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killings → relate → ?
Police say they have not established whether the crimes are connected or if they were committed by one or more perpetrators.
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they → say → perpetrators
However, police are probing potential links after noting similarities in the ages of the victims and the conditions in which they were found.
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they → probe → which
All are believed to have been in their 20s or 30s and some were found either naked or partially clothed, according to police.
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some → believe → police
Some of the bodies also had similar bruising.
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Some → have → bruising
As local women voice fears of a serial killer, Fred Kekana, police commissioner of the Gauteng province where Ekurhuleni is , cautioned against hastily coming to conclusions.
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Ekurhuleni → voice → conclusions
“Investigators are considering all possibilities, including the possibility of multiple suspects or separate perpetrators,” said Kekana.
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Kekana → consider → suspects
“Police are comparing the evidence, timelines, locations, victim profiles and circumstances of each case before reaching conclusions.”
Are there any suspects?
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Police → compare → conclusions
At least one suspect has been detained by police.
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suspect → detain → police
Deputy police commissioner Tebello Mosikili said the suspect appeared in court on Wednesday and would remain in custody.
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suspect → say → custody
Police received information suggesting the suspect was not a South African national and were working to verify that, Mosikili said.
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Mosikili → receive → that
Acting national police commissioner Puleng Dimpane also said police were looking into a person of interest, but it was unclear whether she was referring to the same suspect.
uncertain
she → act → suspect
Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi said whoever is responsible had effectively “declared war against the state” and expressed confidence that police would solve the case.
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police → say → case
“We’ll get them,” he told South African media.
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he → get → media
“And I have trust in the law enforcement agencies.”
asserted
I → have → agencies
What else have police said?
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police → say → What
Police have urged the public to report any information they believe could assist the investigation and offered a reward of 400,000 rand ($25,000) for information leading to an arrest.
uncertain
they → urge → arrest
Police have also advised women in the area to be on heightened alert and to avoid walking or running alone near Kempton Park, where some of the bodies were found.
asserted
some → advise → bodies
The National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA), which funds shelters for women and children affected by gender-based violence, said women already take extensive precautions for their safety and that authorities should not put the onus on women to prevent violence.
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authorities → fund → violence
“Safety messaging should not imply that women can prevent violence simply by making different choices,” the organisation told Al Jazeera.
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organisation → imply → Jazeera
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
