South Africa police find ninth woman dead near Johannesburg

South African police recovered the body of a ninth woman east of Johannesburg on Thursday, as a string of killings over two months continued to raise public concern.

Deputy police chief Tebello Mosikili said the latest body was found on the side of the road in Dawn Park. Police imposed a lockdown in Kempton Park in Ekurhuleni municipality and mounted roadblocks after three partially naked bodies were found this week.

Police have offered a 400,000 rand, or $25,000, reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer or killers. South Africa's Democratic Alliance party offered $31,000.

Mosikili said officers would investigate whether the latest discovery was linked to the earlier murders or whether they were dealing with a copycat.

One victim, 38-year-old Elizabeth Moselakgomo, had left her eight-year-old daughter at home to go jogging and did not return. Her body was found behind a hotel on September 12.

Police said the first victim, a 37-year-old woman, was found naked and bound with cable ties on July 15. A suspect was arrested two days later and appeared in court on Wednesday. Mosikili said the man was a foreigner but could not say from where.

Police said a second woman, aged 32, was found partially clothed on August 24, while a third woman was found naked and in an advanced state of decomposition on September 10.