World
Series of Murdered Women Found Near Johannesburg Airport Sparks National Outrage Over Gender Violence
The discovery of seven women's bodies in the vicinity of Johannesburg's OR Tambo international airport, five of them within the past week, has ignited widespread fear, grief and anger over South Africa's failure to curb violence against women.
Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo, 38, vanished on 9 September after going for a run. Her eight-year-old daughter alerted family members when she failed to return, prompting them to contact police. Her disappearance drew widespread public attention online before her body was found on Saturday and formally identified by relatives on Monday.
According to a police statement issued Saturday, four women's bodies had been discovered since 15 July in Kempton Park, located across the highway from the airport. Each victim was found half-naked with visible signs of bruising. Two additional bodies were subsequently found on Monday and Tuesday in Olifantsfontein, roughly 15 miles to the north. On Tuesday, authorities reported finding another woman's body, naked and decomposed, approximately 25 miles to the southeast.
"In this country we are prey," wrote Sakane Mokoena on Instagram after learning of the death of her friend and running companion, Moselakgomo.
South Africa continues to record one of the world's highest femicide rates. Police data show that in the year ending 31 March 2024, more than 27,600 people were murdered nationwide, including 5,578 women.
Women's rights advocates have long pressed the government to treat gender-based violence as a priority. Following protests by hundreds of women ahead of the G20 summit in Johannesburg in November 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa labeled the issue a national crisis. Despite this declaration, campaigners say the absence of concrete action has left them frustrated as killings continue.
Specialist police officers investigating the recent deaths issued a statement Saturday urging women in the Kempton Park area to avoid running or walking alone, particularly in isolated locations, and to exercise in groups where possible.
The advice drew sharp criticism from South African women, many of whom pointed out that they already take extensive safety precautions, including sharing their exercise routes with others. Advocacy group Women For Change said: "We are tired of being told to be vigilant when women are already doing everything possible to stay alive... It should not take a missing woman, a desperate family, runners and communities searching, and a case going viral, before an area is searched with this intensity."
While investigators initially raised the possibility of a serial killer, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe told reporters Monday that "nothing tells us that we've got a serial killer" at this stage. Mathe confirmed that a suspect — the boyfriend of the first victim killed in July — remains in police custody.
On Tuesday, Ramaphosa said he had instructed police leadership to make the ongoing murder investigations a priority.
Though the identity or gender of those responsible for the other killings has not been confirmed, activists renewed calls for men to take greater responsibility in addressing violence against women. Bafana Khumalo, co-executive director of Sonke Gender Justice, said: "When some of these things happen in our presence, most of us men tend to look the other way. You have excuses like 'No, it's not my business.' We feel strongly that violence against women is our business. We need, as men, to begin to face each other squarely and hold each other accountable."
Moselakgomo's death has prompted an outpouring of grief across the country. Mokoena, who met her roughly two years ago after Moselakgomo joined a running club to avoid training alone on weekends, described her as warm and devoted to her daughter. "She always spoke about her daughter," Mokoena said. "Tsontso always said 'Bye guys, I have to go, I have to go to my child.' That's just an example of how close she was with her baby girl. And she was a really light-spirited, funny and joyful woman, who was kind — very, very kind."
Running clubs across South Africa have organized memorial events in Moselakgomo's honor. Mokoena said she hopes the public response will pressure authorities to take stronger action to protect women. "I'm just happy that the world, or at least our country, was standing still for a moment to acknowledge what is happening," she said. "Let's get this out there and figure out exactly what is happening to women."