Kempton Park: The woman whose body was found in Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, on Saturday has been positively identified as 38-year-old missing runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, bringing a devastating end to a search that began after she failed to return from a routine run on 9 September.

Her family formally identified her at the Germiston mortuary on Monday, while police continue investigating the circumstances surrounding her death and whether there is any evidence linking it to other recent deaths of women in the area.

Moselakgomo was last seen leaving her home in Rhodesfield between approximately 17:30 and 18:30 on Wednesday, 9 September. Her brother, Odirile Morolo, told the Kempton Express that she had finished work and gone out for her usual jog but never returned.

Her disappearance triggered an extensive search involving relatives, community members, police and search-and-rescue volunteers. SAPS said her eight-year-old daughter became concerned when her mother did not return home and contacted relatives, after which the family reported her missing. Police then began following leads and searching for her.

Renegades Search & Rescue joined efforts to find Moselakgomo and appealed to residents, joggers, motorists, security personnel and businesses that had been in Rhodesfield during the period in which she disappeared to provide any information that might help trace her. The organisation also urged members of the community to circulate information about her disappearance responsibly.

The search took a grim turn on Saturday, 12 September, when police recovered the body of a 38-year-old woman behind a hotel in Rhodesfield. SAPS said at the time that the woman was partially clothed and wearing sports clothing. Her identity could not immediately be confirmed.

Family spokesperson Dawn Gouden said relatives were unable to identify the woman at the scene because of her injuries and the late hour. With speculation already circulating online, the family pleaded for restraint while waiting for the formal identification process.

“We humbly ask that the public refrain from sharing any unverified or unconfirmed information,” Gouden said before Monday’s identification.

On Monday, the family’s fears were confirmed at the Germiston mortuary when the body was formally identified as Moselakgomo’s. SAPS subsequently confirmed the identification.

Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane expressed condolences to the family and said investigators would continue working to establish what happened to Moselakgomo.

“We assure the family that the SAPS will do everything within its powers to establish exactly what happened to Elizabeth,” Dimpane said.

Moselakgomo’s uncle, Andries Moraka, said the family had confidence in the investigation and was being kept informed by police.

“The information is to our satisfaction because there’s something that is being done behind the scenes,” Moraka said.

Moraka also declined to speculate on whether Moselakgomo’s death was connected to the other women found dead in the area.

Her identification comes as SAPS investigates a number of women’s deaths in the broader Kempton Park area.

Before Moselakgomo was formally identified, police had already announced a multidisciplinary investigation into four bodies recovered over approximately two months. According to SAPS, preliminary information showed that the women had been found partially clothed or naked, with visible bruising, and that their bodies had been recovered within the same broader vicinity.

Police have been careful, however, not to present those similarities as proof that the deaths are connected.

National SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said: “The similarities in the cases are concerning enough for SAPS to intensify its investigations and ensure that all possible links are thoroughly examined.”

Acting Gauteng Police Commissioner Major-General Fred Kekana has also cautioned against drawing conclusions before investigators have examined the evidence.

“While there are similarities in some of the circumstances surrounding the cases, it would be premature at this stage to conclude that the four cases are linked,” Kekana said.

A dedicated multidisciplinary task team has since been established under Gauteng Deputy Provincial Commissioner Major-General Mbuso Khumalo. It includes detectives from specialised units such as the Murder and Robbery Unit and the Investigative Psychology Unit.

Investigators are examining the individual case dockets, forensic evidence, timelines, locations, victim profiles and other circumstances to determine whether any established links exist.

SAPS said investigators are considering more than one possibility, including whether the deaths are connected, whether different offenders could be involved, or whether the cases are unrelated. Police have therefore not confirmed reports or public speculation that a serial killer is operating in Kempton Park.

Mathe said police would allow the evidence to determine where the investigation leads.

“We are hoping that soon there will be a lead, but for now there is still a lot of work to be done,” she said.

Police have also issued safety advice to women in Kempton Park, particularly in Rhodesfield, while the investigations continue.

“We are appealing to women not to walk or run alone, particularly in isolated areas,” Mathe said, urging women to remain vigilant and, where possible, move or exercise in groups.

Kekana stressed that the warning was intended as a temporary safety precaution rather than a restriction on women’s freedom to use public spaces. Police have also encouraged residents to choose populated and well-lit areas and to remain aware of their surroundings.

The confirmation of Moselakgomo’s death came on the same day police began investigating the discovery of a fifth woman’s body in Olifantsfontein, several kilometres from the earlier recovery sites.

SAPS has not established that the fifth death, Moselakgomo’s death and the earlier cases were committed by the same person or are part of one series.

Police have also confirmed that a suspect arrested on 17 July in connection with the first body discovered near the R21 remains in custody. That arrest relates specifically to the July investigation. SAPS has not publicly identified that suspect as being connected to Moselakgomo’s death.

Moselakgomo’s disappearance and subsequent death have resonated particularly strongly within the running community because she disappeared while taking part in an everyday activity.

Before her body was identified, runners and members of the wider community helped circulate appeals for information, while Renegades Search & Rescue specifically called on joggers and motorists who had been in Rhodesfield around the time she disappeared to come forward with anything that could assist investigators.

The identification has answered the immediate question that confronted Moselakgomo’s family after Saturday’s discovery, but the circumstances of her death remain under investigation.

Police have not publicly announced her cause of death, a motive or the identity of anyone responsible. They have also not established publicly whether she died at the place where her body was found or elsewhere.

For now, those remain questions for investigators rather than conclusions.

SAPS is appealing to anyone with information about Moselakgomo’s death, the other cases or suspicious activity in Rhodesfield and surrounding areas to contact Warrant Officer Elvis Manyike on 082 465 7249. Information may also be submitted anonymously through the MySAPS app.