BackaBuddy fund for Tsontso Moselakgomo's daughter passes R108,000 as police hunt Ekurhuleni killer

A fundraising campaign for the eight-year-old daughter of murdered runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo has raised R108,541, more than double its R50,000 target, three days after it opened.

The BackaBuddy campaign, launched on Monday, will establish an education fund covering school fees, university costs and related expenses for the child. As IOL reported on 16 September, the fund was set up with the family’s authorisation and has drawn support from fellow runners and strangers alike.

Moselakgomo, 38, left her Kempton Park home for an afternoon run on Wednesday, 10 September. When she did not return, her daughter contacted relatives and the family reported her missing. Her body was found in Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, on 12 September, partially clothed and bruised. The family identified her at the Germiston mortuary two days later.

Eight women, two months, one investigation

Moselakgomo is one of eight women whose deaths police are investigating in Ekurhuleni, the metro that runs from Germiston and Kempton Park east to Springs. The bodies were found at different locations across the region over roughly two months, and police have said they are investigating whether the cases are connected.

The earliest known case is a 37-year-old woman found naked and restrained with cable ties in an open field in Kempton Park on 15 July. Her partner was arrested on 17 July in connection with her murder.

Itumeleng Kekana, 32, originally from Qwa Qwa and living in Kempton Park, disappeared on 17 July. Her body was found near a river along the R21 on 3 August, partially clothed and with bruising and injuries to her face. Her family identified her and buried her in Qwa Qwa on 22 August.

On 7 September, two bodies were found in Olifantsfontein and Clayville. One woman, believed to be in her late twenties, was found in a river in Clayville wearing only underwear. The other was found in Olifantsfontein. On 10 September, a woman was found near Kempton Park, naked and in an advanced state of decomposition, and police turned to forensic processes to establish her identity.

Moselakgomo’s remains were found on 12 September. On 14 September, another woman was found in Olifantsfontein, partially clothed and bruised. On 15 September, a woman believed to be in her thirties was found in Kwa-Thema, Springs, naked and in a state of decomposition.

Four of the eight have not been publicly identified.

What the police have done

Acting national police commissioner Puleng Dimpane has appealed to families with missing relatives in the area to come forward and help identify the unidentified victims. She has also announced a R400,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.

Investigators have been brought in to help track down whoever is behind the deaths, and the cases are being handled as a linked investigation pending confirmation.

The appeal to families matters more than it may appear. Four of the eight women remain unidentified, and identification is the first step in any murder docket. A family that has not reported a missing relative cannot be matched to a body, and a case without a name is a case that struggles to move.

A running club’s answer

Moselakgomo’s running club, Team Vitality, has expressed its condolences and said it will contribute to the family. Discovery Vitality South Africa chief executive Dinesh Govender said he was saddened and horrified by her death, and that the company would make a contribution to support her daughter and family.

The BackaBuddy page describes Moselakgomo as a much-loved friend and fellow runner. “While we cannot fill the space left by a parent, we can come together as a community to help provide something lasting,” the campaign statement reads. Its stated aim is an education fund that will carry the child through school and university.

For a family in Kempton Park, that fund is the difference between a child’s schooling continuing and it stopping. R108,541 is roughly two years of fees at a mid-range South African high school, or a first year at university with accommodation. It is money that arrives without a court date attached.

What happens next

Anyone with information on the deaths, or with a missing relative in the Ekurhuleni area, can contact their nearest police station or the SAPS Crime Stop number. The R400,000 reward remains open. The BackaBuddy campaign remains open for contributions.

The investigation into the eight deaths continues under the acting national commissioner’s office.

Source: IOL, Fundraising campaign for slain runner Elizabeth ‘Tsontso’ Moselakgomo’s daughter surpasses R100,000