A Sandton running group held a memorial run for Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo as South Africa reels from multiple killings of women and renewed demands for government and police action.
Nine women’s bodies were discovered in Ekurhuleni since mid-July, prompting protests and calls for stronger police and state responses.
South Africa’s femicide rate was 12.2 per 100,000 people in 2022, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime — far above the global average.
Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo, a 38-year-old member of a Saturday running club in Sandton, Johannesburg, went missing after she went for a run alone after work. Her body was found on Saturday 12 September, three days after she disappeared. A week after her body was identified by family, club members gathered for a memorial run to honour her and to press for better protection for women.
The article cites UN Office on Drugs and Crime data showing that South Africa had a femicide rate of 12.2 per 100,000 people in 2022 — nearly six times the global rate. The national government declared gender-based violence a national crisis in November 2025, but families, activists and community groups say more must be done.
The club's weekly Saturday runs around Sandton became the setting for a quiet, mixed public protest and communal grieving. After finishing 5km or 10km routes, runners — mostly women — gathered on a lawn outside a gated apartment complex for refreshments and a moment of silence. A friend, Sakane Mokoena, addressed the group and thanked men who run with the club, noting that some slow their pace weekly to ensure women are not left behind.
Runners and volunteers described fear and trauma. One woman, who gave only her first name, said she had run alone for years and now felt exposed and vulnerable. Other members called on men to take responsibility for violence against women, urging them to act rather than dismiss the problem. A man who provided post-run refreshments said men need to "be better" and abandon violent behaviour.
Runners and protesters want more effective policing, state accountability and social changes that reduce risk for women. They highlight both immediate protections — police action and investigations — and broader societal shifts, calling on men to explicitly oppose violence and support women's safety.
The killings and public response expose a pattern of violence against women that communities and families experience as a persistent threat to everyday activities, including exercise and commuting. The memorial run combines mourning with public pressure on institutions and on men to change behaviour.
Memorial runs and vigils are demanding action after nine women were found dead near Johannesburg over two months. South Africans
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[SAnews.gov.za] September is a significant month in South Africa, marked by commemorations that celebrate our identity, heritage, service and national development.
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