Fifth Woman's Body Found in South Africa as Police Probe Deaths of Five in Kempton Park

South African police found the body of missing runner Elizabeth Moselakgomo and a fifth unidentified woman in the Kempton Park area, prompting intensified investigations into the deaths of five women whose bodies were discovered partially naked with visible injuries since July.

Discovery of Fifth Body and Identification of Moselakgomo

Elizabeth Moselakgomo was the “glue of the family”. The 38-year-old Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, resident held the family together, according to her uncle and the family’s spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Andries Mataila. [1] “Tsontso”, as she was known to those close to her, had a particularly close bond with her eight-year-old daughter. [1] According to Mataila, that’s what prompted the child to alert relatives just “minutes” after her mother failed to return from her run at her usual time on Wednesday, 9 September. [1] Moselakgomo’s body was discovered on Saturday, 12 September, behind a hotel in Rhodesfield. [1] Her family identified her remains at the Germiston Mortuary on Monday afternoon, 14 September. [1]

A family-supplied photograph of Elizabeth Moselakgomo during one of the races she participated in. (Photo: Supplied/Family) She was one of five women who have been found dead in Kempton Park and the adjacent area since July. [1] The latest victim was discovered on Monday morning after a passerby spotted her body on Porcelain Avenue in Olifantsfontein and alerted authorities. [1] The unidentified woman was found partially naked and bruised in the street, where police suspect she was dumped. [1] During the forensic investigation at the scene, the SAPS deployed its K9 unit to assist in uncovering physical evidence. [1] The body was later taken to the Germiston Mortuary. [1] Police load the body of the fifth victim into a forensic vehicle after it was found alongside a road in Olifantsfontein on 14 September. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

South African police have confirmed the death of a jogger, who went missing during a routine run last week, sparking a nationwide appeal for help finding her. [3] The body of Elizabeth Moselakgomo was identified by her relatives on Monday after it was discovered east of Johannesburg on Saturday. [3] Just hours earlier on Monday, another woman's half-naked body was found about 25km (15 miles) away. [3] The latest discovery was made by a passer-by, who spotted the body on his way to work, police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe told reporters at the scene. [3] Moselakgomo's body was found on Saturday night, badly bruised and partially clothed. [3] Moselakgomo was an avid runner who regularly trained along Main Road in Rhodesfield. [1] When she failed to return from an early evening run on 9 September, her young daughter immediately alerted family members, who reported her missing to the police. [1] Her body was discovered on 12 September on York Street, Rhodesfield, adjacent to the R21 highway, near the Southern Sun OR Tambo. [1] On Monday, community members had set up a memorial at the site where Moselakgomo’s body was found, laying down candles and praying for her. [1]

Similarities Among the Five Cases

Police have not confirmed whether the five deaths are linked. [1] However, similarities between the cases have raised concern. [1] The five victims were all black women in their thirties; their bodies were found in Kempton Park and nearby Olifantsfontein, all partially or completely naked. [1] Their bodies also had visible injuries, although the severity varied between cases. [1] She is one of five women whose bodies have been found half-naked and bruised in the same area, Kempton Park. [3] Police said they were not linking the deaths to a serial killer but added that the "similarities are sufficiently concerning… to issue a public warning". [3] Before Monday’s discovery of the fifth body, the SAPS released a statement saying investigations had intensified following the discovery of four women’s bodies in Kempton Park. [1] “While investigations are still under way and SAPS has not, at this stage, confirmed that the deaths are linked to a serial killer, the similarities are sufficiently concerning for the police to issue a public warning and intensify investigations,” said the SAPS. [1] Moselakgomo is the only victim who has been publicly named by the SAPS. [1] Only Moselakgomo and the first victim had been identified. [1] Identifying the third victim, found on 10 September, has been particularly difficult as her remains were in an advanced state of decomposition. [1]

Police Response and Task Team Formation

A task team has been established comprising detectives from specialised units, including the Murder and Robbery Unit and the Investigative Psychology Unit. [1] The police have appealed to residents, motorists, security personnel and other members of the community who may have observed suspicious activity in Rhodesfield and surrounding areas to come forward. [1] The SAPS advised women and girls in the community to take precautionary measures, including travelling in groups, avoiding isolated areas and sharing their locations with loved ones. [1] One of the cases has resulted in an arrest. [1] The body of the first victim, a 37-year-old woman, was found near the R21 in Rhodesfield on 15 July. [1] Like the other victims, she was naked, but also bound with cable ties. [1] A suspect, reported to be the victim’s partner, was arrested on 17 July in connection with her murder. [1] Major General Fred Kekana, Gauteng acting provincial commissioner of the SAPS, confirmed that “investigators have already made progress” in this case. [1] The case appears to be being treated separately from the four subsequent killings. [1] One arrest has been made in connection with the discovery of the first body. [3] The person is still in police custody. [3] The police have since set up a task team to investigate the murders. [3] On Monday, the deputy national police commissioner, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, said investigators were “analysing victim profiles and suspect profiles”. [1] Mosikili warned “whoever is responsible for these killings: listen carefully. If you are responsible for taking these women’s lives, your freedom is temporary. You may be hiding this evening. You may think that you have removed the evidence. You may think that nobody saw you or knows who you are. Do not make that mistake. Both the SAPS and EMPD have the capability, the resources and the determination to find you.” [1] Police have urged women in the Kempton Park area to avoid walking or running alone "particularly in isolated areas". [3]

Community Reactions and Fears

Community members, alongside organisations including the Kempton Park Community Forum and the Girl2Woman Foundation, held a march in Rhodesfield on Monday afternoon at which some shared their fears and frustrations. [1] “We are scared as women of Kempton Park,” said community member Nosiphiwo Galada. [1] “Enough is enough… A woman cannot be downgraded to this point,” said Pastor Portia Lesole, a Rhodesfield resident. [1] Some community members expressed frustration at what they described as a lack of police intervention and efforts to protect women in Ekurhuleni and across South Africa. [1] Demonstrators called for increased police presence, saying women and children are vulnerable in the area and are increasingly restricted from moving freely in their own communities because of the dangers they face. [1] Women march in and around Kempton Park in support of the late Elizabeth Moselakgomo on 14 September. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla) A jogger who knew Moselakgomo through their running club told the BBC the discovery of the five bodies was "very scary". [3] "It's sad to know that every woman in South Africa… can't just go outside. You can't just go to the shop and buy flowers… because you are always in danger," said Keamo Sefularo. [3] Running clubs across South Africa have organised runs in memory of Moselakgomo, and communities countrywide plan to hold peaceful demonstrations this week. [1] Team Vitality, Moselakgomo’s club, released a statement expressing sadness over her death and extending condolences to her family. [1] Moselakgomo's family thanked the public for the support in searching for the mother of one and commended her eight-year-old daughter for raising the alarm about her disappearance. [3] Addressing how her eight-year-old daughter was coping, Mataila noted that the police psychology unit was assisting the family, adding that the child was with psychologists and it remained unclear whether she had yet been informed of her mother’s death. [1] Moselakgomo was remembered by relatives as a devoted mother, churchgoer and professional. [1]

Broader Context of Missing Women

On Monday, the deputy national police commissioner, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, said 17 women had been reported missing in the Kempton Park area since January, 13 of whom had been located by police and safely reunited with their families. [1] Mosikili added that a woman was kidnapped in Kempton Park on Sunday, but had since been found and safely reunited with her family. [1] “We have joined resources with the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department [EMPD] to increase visibility and strengthen our operational response in the affected areas. We are putting more boots on the ground,” he said. [1] South Africa experiences some of the world's highest levels of gender-based violence (GBV), with the rate at which women are killed five times higher than the global average, according to UN Women. [3] Advocacy group Women for Change said the discovery of these bodies was angering. [3] "What is the purpose of having a protective service like the police if we have to make sure… we are [protecting] ourselves," the group's Merlize Jogiat asked. [3] Jogiat mostly blamed poor implementation of laws passed for the failure to curb the issue and said "pressure in numbers" from citizens could be the solution. [3] South Africans also shared the fear and anxiety women often feel in the country. [3] Lesedi Ledwaba, in a post on X, said: "Women are not free if we have to calculate where, when and with whom we can walk, run or exist safely". [3] This was echoed by Sefularo, who said Moselakgomo's disappearance had been "heavy for the club". [3]

What to watch next: Authorities are yet to identify the remaining bodies while the task team analyses victim and suspect profiles and continues to appeal for information on suspicious activity in the area.