Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, a 38-year-old jogger, was identified as the fifth victim in a series of deaths in the Kempton Park area of Gauteng province, prompting South African Police Service (SAPS) to assemble a dedicated investigative task team. Police announced the identification on Monday, 14 September, after her body was recovered at the Germiston mortuary, following her disappearance during an afternoon run on 9 September in the Rhodesfield neighborhood.
The task team will be led by Gauteng Deputy Provincial Commissioner Major General Mbuso Khumalo and draws personnel from the Murder and Robbery Unit, the Investigative Psychology Unit, and other specialized disciplines. Its formation signals the operational priority SAPS is placing on the investigation, with Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane ordering the team to urgently advance inquiries and determine whether the deaths are connected.
The pattern across the five cases is difficult to ignore. Preliminary investigations reveal that all victims were found either partially or fully unclothed, bearing visible bruises, and located within the same geographic vicinity. Despite these consistencies, police have not yet formally confirmed a serial killer connection.
The first victim, a 37-year-old woman, was discovered near the R21 road on 15 July, found naked with evidence of restraint using cable ties. A suspect was arrested on 17 July and remains in custody in connection with that case. The second victim, a 32-year-old woman, was found partially clothed near the R21 on 24 August. A third unidentified woman was discovered on 10 September in an advanced state of decomposition. The fourth victim, a 38-year-old woman, was located on 12 September behind a hotel in Rhodesfield, wearing sports clothing and found partially clothed. Her identity remains subject to formal family confirmation through mortuary identification procedures.
Meanwhile, SAPS has issued a public safety advisory directing women in the Kempton Park area to avoid walking or running alone, particularly in isolated locations. The guidance recommends remaining vigilant, avoiding areas with minimal foot traffic, and exercising in groups where possible. The advisory reflects an operational assessment that risk levels in the region have risen significantly.
Moselakgomo’s disappearance had triggered a widespread public search effort before her body was identified. Her family expressed gratitude for public support during the search and highlighted the role her eight-year-old daughter played in raising the alarm. Keamo Sefularo, a 29-year-old jogger who knew Moselakgomo through their running club, described the discovery of the five bodies as “very scary” and questioned whether the outcome might have differed had Moselakgomo exercised with a group. “Safety is in numbers,” Sefularo said.
Advocacy group Women for Change has been more pointed in its criticism. Merlize Jogiat from the organization questioned the purpose of protective services like the police if citizens must manage their own safety, attributing the ongoing situation partly to poor implementation of existing laws. Jogiat suggested that sustained public pressure could drive more effective enforcement and operational change.
One suspect is in custody in connection with the first death. The remaining cases are open. Whether the task team can establish definitive links between the incidents, and identify additional suspects, will determine how effectively SAPS closes the gap between the operational response it has assembled and the outcomes the community is waiting for.