South Africa: After the death of Elizabeth Moselakgomo, runners organize to keep running

Elizabeth Moselakgomo, 38, was a passionate runner. She went missing on September 9, 2026, near Kempton Park in Gauteng province, and her body was found three days later. She leaves behind an 8-year-old daughter. Since then, South African runners have decided not to give up, but to change how they go out, report Africanews and the South African site IOL.

Nancy Masha, 39, runs every day in Johannesburg with a knife and pepper spray. "Our fellow runner was brutally killed. I need to protect myself," she told IOL. She refuses to stop.

A logistics of fear

The measures described by these women form a complete protocol. Chulumanco Mahamba, 31, has reduced her outings to twice a week, shares her live location with loved ones, and sends them a photo of her outfit before leaving so it can be described in the event of her disappearance. Babalwa Melitafa, 46, now only runs within a closed enclosure. Andiswa Siwela, 43, a filmmaker based in Cape Town, keeps her car keys tightly in her hand.

Not everyone is convinced by carrying weapons. "We are not trained to use these things," objects Hlompho Matji, 47, a data analyst, as quoted by IOL. The issue shifts the burden of security onto potential victims rather than the state.

This is also what Nkululeko Molosi, 47, captain of the Sunrise Athletics club, says: according to him, runners should not have to choose between their passion and their safety, reports Africanews.

The numbers behind the testimonies

Ten women's bodies were discovered in two months around Kempton Park and the surrounding area, with the tenth found in Soweto on September 20, according to Africanews. The police are investigating the hypothesis of one or more serial killers. Three people have been arrested, one man and two women, who are being prosecuted in two separate cases according to IOL; they are presumed innocent until a judgment is rendered.

From September 1 to 16, the national gender-based violence command center received 6,782 calls, an average of 424 per day, a 21% increase compared to August. President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the suffering of South African women as a "national shame."

In South Africa, running is a popular pastime and a source of national sporting pride. The fact that women must now negotiate every outing highlights the gap between the rights enshrined in the country's Constitution—one of the most protective on the continent—and the security actually guaranteed. The runners mentioned all make the same demand: to be able to run without fear.