Woman's Routine Run Ends in Murder; Ninth Body Found in Johannesburg Area Killing Spree

Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo went for an afternoon run in Rhodesfield on September 9 and never came home. The 38-year-old woman’s body was found three days later, her death marking the fifth victim in a cascade of killings across the Ekurhuleni municipality and surrounding areas near Johannesburg. She was doing something ordinary, something healthy, and she vanished into what may be the work of a serial killer still at large.

Police confirmed the discovery of a ninth body on Thursday, September 17, 2026, in Dawn Park, east of Johannesburg. The woman, believed to be in her 30s, was found half-naked and covered with cloth on a roadside, her throat cut. This latest death comes within two months of the first victim discovered on July 15, a 37-year-old woman found naked near R21, restrained with cable ties. Between those dates, seven other bodies have surfaced, some in advanced decomposition, others bearing signs of violence. Only three of the victims’ families have so far been able to identify their loved ones.

The timeline reads like a chronicle of mounting dread. On August 24, authorities found a 32-year-old woman partially clothed near R21. September brought a cluster of findings: a third victim on September 10 in an advanced state of decomposition; a fourth on September 12 at Rhodesfield behind a hotel; Elizabeth Moselakgomo on the same day; a sixth victim on September 15 in the Katema area; a seventh found floating in a river near the Mall of Tembisa in Clayville on September 7, though announced on September 15; and an eighth on September 14 in Olifantsfontein. The ninth followed three days later.

Meanwhile, police have assembled a multidisciplinary team to investigate, yet they have not confirmed whether a single serial killer is responsible or whether multiple perpetrators are linked to the deaths. The South African Police Service has explicitly stated they cannot confirm claims circulating on social media about a serial killer relocating to Potchefstroom or other specific details. “At this stage, the police have not found an official report or complaint confirming the specific claims contained in the circulating message, including the alleged relocation of suspect to Potchefstroom,” a police statement noted. One suspect has been arrested in connection to the first case and remains in custody, but authorities have offered no public updates on progress in the broader investigation.

The killings have sparked profound fear and anger. On social media platform X, user @ndlanzibm1 expressed the suspicion and despair many feel: “Today, we face massacre women and men have been killed left and right in South Africa Ekurhuleni Kempton Park. I know some of you know who is doing this but because you fear top officials share bed with criminals. Sorry to the victims, the system has failed you.” Women are being warned not to walk or run alone and to avoid isolated places. The wave of deaths has reignited national conversation about gender-based violence and the vulnerability of women across the country.

Fedusa, South Africa’s largest politically non-aligned trade union, has called on government and employers to take urgent action. The union highlighted the particular danger facing workers who leave their jobs after dark. “Following the growing concern about the safety of women who go home after late shifts in Kempton Park, Fedusa and other bodies are asking for urgent action to address the risks workers face when they clock out after dark,” the union stated on X. “The safety of workers does not end after they leave the office.” Fedusa has urged government, employers, and organised labour to work together on practical measures, including better transport arrangements for those working late shifts.

For more details on this developing story, see https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/articles/c8g49g53pv1ko.

Nine bodies in two months. Three families with answers. The rest still waiting. The question hanging over Ekurhuleni now is whether authorities can identify who is responsible before another woman fails to come home.