10th female body discovered in Ekurhuleni after Tembisa cemetery find - IOL

A body of a woman has been found partly clothed in Tembisa. This is the 11th body found in Gauteng in recent weeks.

Police have confirmed that the body of a half-naked woman has been found inside Mooifontein Cemetery in Tembisa near an Informal Settlement.

SAPS Gauteng spokesperson Brenda Muridili confirmed to IOL that a woman’s body was discovered in Tembisa South, in the Vusimusi section, on the morning of Saturday, September 26.

"At this stage, we can only confirm the discovery of the body. Crime scene management and all the necessary role players are currently on the scene. Further information will be provided as soon as preliminary investigations have been conducted," said Muridili.

This is the 10th woman found in the  Ekurhuleni area, but a total of 11 bodies have been found in recent weeks in Gauteng.

The discovery of the bodies has sparked vigils, protests and solidarity runs across South Africa, with hundreds of people gathering from Kempton Park to Cape Town to honour the victims and call for stronger action to protect women.

The deaths have once again highlighted the country’s persistent gender-based violence crisis, despite years of government commitments to address the problem and its declaration as a national disaster last year.

The government said its 24-hour Gender-Based Violence Command Centre received 6,782 distress calls between September 1 and 16 - an average of 424 calls a day and a 21% increase compared with the same period in August.

The latest killings have also intensified fears among women, many of whom have long been forced to take extra precautions as they go about their daily lives.