Police in South Africa said Monday they had arrested two women in connection with the killing of a woman in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, amid fears that a series of recent killings could be linked.
Nine women in their 20s and 30s have been killed in the municipality over the past two months, triggering anger in a country with high levels of violence against women.
The two suspects appeared before the Boksburg Magistrates Court on Monday after the body of a woman was found in Ekurhuleni last week. Their case was postponed to October 1, when they can formally apply for bail.
Police initially said a third suspect, a man, had also been taken into custody, but later said he had been released without being charged.
Investigators have not linked the two women to the other eight killings. Authorities have also stressed that it remains unclear whether all nine deaths are connected, although similarities have been identified in some cases.
Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said Sunday there was no conclusive evidence so far that a serial killer was behind the deaths, adding that “nothing has yet been excluded” as investigations continue.
Six of the nine victims were found within a 10-day period this month, while four were discovered within about 6 kilometers of each other. Several bodies were found in open areas near major roads, prompting police to urge women in Ekurhuleni to take precautions.
