South African women runners arm themselves after a string of killings

The useful part

Masha is among those taking extra precautions after nine women, including avid runner Elizabeth Moselakgomo, were found murdered in Johannesburg's East Rand in two months -- some of them partially naked and battered. I needed a way to protect myself because I am a woman and also a runner," Masha, 39, who usually runs alone, told AFP. Moselakgomo, 38, left home on September 9 for a run and never returned, leaving behind her eight-year-old daughter.

How it works

• "We are not trained to use those things," said Hlompho Matji, 47, a data analyst and runner.
• We don't know how to use them." Babalwa Melitafa, 46, said she did not consider carrying weapons but preferred running only within a gated community's sports oval.
• Two days after Moselakgomo's body was found, Masha started carrying pepper spray and a knife on her daily runs.
• I won't stop running." Masha said she had once taken part in a marathon with Moselakgomo, whom she described as "bubbly".
• Gender-based violence remains endemic in South Africa, despite years of government pledges to tackle the problem and its declaration last year as a national disaster.

What to take from it

"It's also a risk to carry pepper spray because someone could overpower you and use it against you. "I would not run outside the oval alone because of what has happened. The killings have heightened concerns among women already accustomed to taking precautions in their daily lives.

Example or evidence

• The discovery on September 20 in Johannesburg's Soweto area of another woman -- whose body was wrapped in a duvet -- made her question her routine.
• Now she avoids secluded routes and shares her live location with loved ones before leaving home.
• "It feels unfair that we have to change our routines, but I do feel safer when I'm carrying pepper spray," she said.
• 'We want to live' Even in Cape Town, some 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) away, women said the killings had altered their routines.

Details worth keeping

Her body was found three days later in the same area around Kempton Park where eight others were discovered since mid-July, prompting police to investigate whether a serial killer or killers were responsible, and fuelling anxiety and anger across the country. "Her murder really traumatised me," the mother-of-two said. "We run in awkward spaces and at awkward times.

Related coverage

• Theguardian: A week after Elizabeth 'Tsontso' Moselakgomo's body was found, runners took part in a morning run to honour her name and demand more protection The runners smiled and laughed, congratulating each other on...
• Bbc: The police have since set up a task team to investigate the murders and have urged women in the Kempton Park area to avoid walking or running alone "particularly in isolated areas".
• Allafrica: [Daily Maverick] A woman goes out for a run, not to provoke, not to challenge, not to invite danger, but simply to enjoy the freedom of movement, exercise, and relaxation that should belong to every human...
• Rt: Kenya's Agnes Ngetich has broken the women-only half marathon world record by one second at the World Road Running Championships Read Full Article at RT.com