The number of women whose deaths are being considered as part of a wider investigation has risen to seven following the discovery of a body in Thembisa.

Police confirmed the latest development during a media briefing in Kwa-Thema on September 15, where the body of a sixth victim was found.

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Gauteng police acting provincial commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said investigators identified another case that could potentially be linked to the deaths already under investigation.

He said the case involves a woman whose body was found in a river in Clayville, near Mall of Thembisa, on September 7.

Kekana clarified that the body was not discovered on September 15, but had been found during routine police duties.

“On the seventh of this month, the body of a woman who is in her 20s was found floating in a river in Clayville near Mall of Thembisa,” said Kekana.

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“Therefore, we no longer have six bodies, but seven,” he said.

Kekana said the woman had no visible injuries and investigators were working to establish whether her death was connected to the other cases.

Bodies found across multiple locations

The development follows the discovery of the bodies of four women in and around Kempton Park, with the investigation subsequently extending to Olifantsfontein and Clayville where a fifth victim was found.

The fifth body was discovered in Clayville Extension 26, Olifantsfontein, on September 13.

The woman was found partially naked beside a road, with police treating the area as a crime scene.

Also read: Discovery of multiple bodies spark safety fears across Ekurhuleni

Police have previously confirmed that multidisciplinary teams, including SAPS, metro police, investigative psychology experts and search-and-rescue teams, are working to establish whether there are links between the cases.

At this stage, police have not confirmed that the seven deaths are connected, and no arrests have been made.

Police have also urged families with missing relatives to report them to their nearest police station, as this could assist investigators in identifying unidentified victims and establishing whether they are connected to any of the cases.