Key facts
- Five women found dead: A fifth woman’s body was discovered in Olifantsfontein on Monday, adding to four other female deaths reported around Kempton Park over about two months.
- Elizabeth Moselakgomo identified: The family of 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo positively identified her body at the Germiston mortuary on Monday.
- Moselakgomo disappeared after a run: She left home for an afternoon run on September 10 and did not return. Her eight-year-old daughter became worried and alerted relatives.
- Body found on September 12: Moselakgomo’s body was discovered on Saturday and was found partially dressed, according to reports.
- Police probe possible links: SAPS has identified concerning similarities in some cases but has not confirmed that a serial killer is responsible.
- Dedicated task team: A multidisciplinary SAPS team is investigating the deaths and possible links between them.
- Safety warning: Police have urged women in and around Kempton Park to avoid walking or running alone, particularly in isolated areas.
JOHANNESBURG – The family of Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo has positively identified her body at the Germiston mortuary, as police investigate the deaths of five women in and around Kempton Park.
The devastating confirmation comes as calls to address the GBV scourge in South Africa grow, with SAPS intensifying its investigation into possible links between the deaths.
Moselakgomo, 38, disappeared after leaving her home in Kempton Park for an afternoon run on September 10.
Her eight-year-old daughter became worried when her mother did not return home and alerted relatives, prompting the search for Moselakgomo.
Her body was found on September 12 in the Rhodesfield area. Her family formally identified her at the Germiston mortuary on Monday.
The identification brings an end to the search for the missing runner but adds another confirmed death to an already deeply concerning investigation.
Fifth woman’s body found near Kempton Park
The identification came on the same day police discovered a fifth woman’s body in Olifantsfontein.
The latest body was found on Monday morning, about 23 kilometres from the other reported discovery sites, with police and forensic pathologists at the scene.
The woman’s identity and the circumstances surrounding her death have not yet been established.
The discovery follows four other cases involving women found dead in the broader Kempton Park and Rhodesfield area over about two months.
Police are investigating whether the cases are connected.
SAPS probes possible links between women’s deaths
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe previously confirmed that detectives had identified concerning similarities in some of the cases.
“Preliminary information gathered by detectives indicates concerning similarities in the circumstances surrounding the deaths,” Mathe said.
She said some of the women were found partially clothed and with visible bruising, while the discovery sites were within the same general vicinity.
However, SAPS has stressed that it has not confirmed a serial killer link.
“While investigations are still underway 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,” Mathe said.
An arrest has already been made in connection with the first reported death, with the suspect remaining in custody while investigators examine the available evidence.
Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane has directed a dedicated multidisciplinary team to intensify the investigation.
The team includes detectives and specialised policing resources tasked with establishing the circumstances surrounding each death, analysing evidence and identifying any possible links.
Dimpane has also extended condolences to the Moselakgomo family and said police would work to establish exactly what happened to Elizabeth and hold those responsible accountable.
‘Five bodies of women discovered’: Public anger grows
The disturbing sequence of discoveries has also triggered growing public anger and questions about whether the similarities between the cases warrant a stronger police response.
Broadcast journalist Clement Manyathela questioned the threshold for classifying the deaths as targeted killings in a post on X.
“5 bodies of women discovered. Murdered. All of them found half naked with bruises. In and around the same area. And we still trying to decide whether these murders are targeted? 5 bodies? Similar circumstances? What’s the threshold? 10? For us to call it what it is?”
Manyathela’s comments reflect the growing concern around the deaths, although SAPS has not established that all five cases are connected or that they were carried out by a serial killer.
The investigation remains focused on establishing the facts behind each death.
Police warn women in Kempton Park
SAPS has urged women in and around Kempton Park, particularly in Rhodesfield and isolated areas, to exercise extreme caution.
Police have advised women not to walk, run or exercise alone, especially in secluded areas.
Residents have also been encouraged to remain vigilant and, where possible, travel or exercise in groups.
Police are appealing to residents, motorists, security personnel and other community members who may have witnessed suspicious activity in Rhodesfield and surrounding areas to come forward.
Kempton Park deaths renew South Africa’s GBV concerns
The deaths have renewed attention on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa, where violence against women remains a major national concern.
According to Africa Check’s analysis of South Africa’s femicide rate, the country’s female homicide rate was roughly 12.2 per 100,000 women, about six times the global average.
The Human Sciences Research Council has also found that 33.1% of South African women aged 18 and older experienced physical violence during their lifetime.
Amnesty International South Africa has called for gender-based violence and femicide to be treated as a true national crisis, highlighting the scale of reported rape and sexual violence in the country. Read Amnesty’s GBV and femicide report.
The national statistics provide a wider context to the fears now gripping the Kempton Park community, although investigators have yet to establish whether the five deaths are connected.
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This is a developing story.
If you or someone you know needs help, the GBV Command Centre is available 24/7 on 0800 428 428 or via USSD at *120*7867#.
