South African authorities are investigating the deaths of seven women whose bodies have been found in and around Kempton Park, north-east of Johannesburg, over the past two months, prompting President Cyril Ramaphosa to order law enforcement agencies to urgently establish who is behind the killings.
The latest body was discovered on Tuesday morning, adding to a series of deaths that has raised fear among residents, particularly women in the area.
Ramaphosa said the authorities must leave no stone unturned as they work to establish what happened to the women and bring those responsible to justice.
"These incidents are causing fear and uncertainty in our communities, and especially among women," the president said.
He said he had directed that the cases be given priority as police work to establish the facts surrounding the deaths.
"Our law enforcement agencies are working urgently to establish the facts, keep communities safe and bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice."
Police have so far not classified the deaths as the work of a serial killer, although investigators are examining whether a group of people could be responsible.
Police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said investigators were also considering whether the deaths could be linked to copycat crimes.
"[It] could be that it's a copycat crime that is happening right here but so far, no linkages as yet," Mathe said.
One person has been arrested in connection with the discovery of the first body and remains in police custody.
Only two of the seven women have been identified so far.
One of those identified is Elizabeth Moselakgomo, a 38-year-old runner whose disappearance last week led to a public search.
Her relatives identified her body on Monday after it was found on Saturday. Her young daughter raised the alarm when Moselakgomo failed to return home from her usual run last Wednesday.
Police said most of the women were found either partially or fully naked.
The first body was discovered in mid-July, followed by another in late August. The remaining bodies were found this month, including two within two days.
On Tuesday, police added the body of another woman discovered on September 7 in a nearby town to the investigation, bringing the number of deaths under investigation to seven.
Maj-Gen Fred Kekana, the acting police chief for Gauteng province, said police reviewed reports from their stations after noticing the number of female bodies being found.
"After noticing that there are bodies being picked up, we went back to our police stations… and unfortunately it came to light that a body of a female in her late 20s was observed in a river next to a mall," Kekana said at a briefing.
Police have warned women living in the Kempton Park area, which is near South Africa's main international airport, to avoid walking or running alone, especially in isolated places.
The South Africa Commission for Gender Equality has also called on residents to cooperate with investigators as authorities search for those responsible.
The commission said the deaths showed that women in South Africa continue to face danger during ordinary daily activities.
"These deaths are indicative that women in South Africa continue to face environments in which their ordinary freedom of movement can become a matter of life and death," it said.
"Women should be able to run, walk to work, use public transport, return home, visit friends and participate in community life without having to calculate whether an ordinary activity could place their lives at risk."
The killings have caused anger and fear in South Africa, with critics questioning whether authorities are doing enough to protect women.
South Africa has one of the world's highest rates of gender-based violence, with UN Women saying women in the country are killed at a rate five times higher than the global average.