Nine bodies of murdered women have been discovered in the Ekurhuleni area of South Africa since July, with three found in a single week, sparking fresh national alarm about gender-based violence in the country. The incidents—including the deaths of 38-year-old mother Dineo Motapane and 32-year-old shopkeeper Itumeleng Kekana—have traumatised the nation and intensified scrutiny on a crisis that South Africa has long struggled with, as it experiences one of the world's highest rates of gender-based violence. The victims, mostly women in their twenties and thirties, all suffered extreme violence before death. Only one arrest has been made across the nine cases, with police uncertain whether a serial killer is responsible or whether the murders are unrelated. Between April and June this year, 569 women were killed nationally—an average of six per day—whilst a further 1,052 faced attempted murder. The discoveries have intensified pressure on the government, which less than a year ago declared gender-based violence a national disaster following sustained protests and a Women's Shut Down march during the G20 summit, with rights groups and citizens now demanding more decisive action.