Police have discovered the body of a fifth woman in the Kempton Park area, fuelling fears that a serial killer could be on the loose.
The gruesome discovery comes after the bodies of four other women were found in the vicinity over the past two months.
The latest development has intensified concerns as the family of missing runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Mokolo Moselakgomo waits to establish whether the latest body is that of the 38-year-old mother.
Moselakgomo disappeared after leaving her Kempton Park home for an afternoon run on September 10.
Her family is expected at the Germiston government mortuary today to identify the body of a woman, in a moment that could bring either devastating confirmation or renewed hope.
The family is holding on to hope that the body is not Moselakgomo and that she will still be found alive.
Police said Moselakgomo’s eight-year-old daughter contacted relatives after her mother failed to return home from her run, prompting the family to report her missing.
The uncertainty comes as police investigate the deaths of four women whose bodies were discovered in the Kempton Park area between July and September.
Investigators have yet to establish whether the cases are linked.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said police had conducted searches and followed up on available leads since Moselakgomo was reported missing.
“Police have also made enquiries at hospitals and mortuaries, but these efforts have so far yielded no positive results.”
“The circumstances surrounding her disappearance are currently being investigated, and police are pursuing every possible lead to establish her whereabouts and ensure her safe return to her family.”
Mathe said the SAPS was making an urgent appeal to the public, media and social media community to assist in locating Moselakgomo, who may also be known as Tsontso.
“Members of the public are urged to share this appeal widely across social media platforms and community networks. Even seemingly insignificant information could prove crucial in locating her.”
The search for Moselakgomo comes against the backdrop of four women being found dead in the Kempton Park area in recent months.
Speaking during a media briefing on Sunday, acting Gauteng provincial police commissioner Major-General Fred Kekana said the deaths were deeply concerning.
The first victim, a 37-year-old woman, was found near the R21 on July 15. She was naked and had been restrained with cable ties.
A suspect was arrested two days later and remains in custody.
A second body, that of a 32-year-old woman, was found near the R21 on August 24. She was partially clothed.
An unidentified woman was found on September 10 in an advanced state of decomposition.
She was naked and police said they had not yet been able to formally establish her identity.
The fourth body, that of a 38-year-old woman, was found on September 12 in Rhodesfield, behind a hotel.
She was wearing sports clothing and was partially clothed. Her identity remains subject to formal confirmation through the mortuary identification process.
Police have not confirmed that the deaths are connected or that a serial killer is responsible, but the discovery of another woman’s body is likely to heighten concerns among residents in the area.
