The eight-year-old girl who alerted relatives when her mother failed to return from a run is now facing life without her.
Police have confirmed that Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, 38, was the woman found dead behind a hotel in Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, on Saturday, 12 September. Her family identified her body at the Germiston mortuary on Monday.
Moselakgomo left home for a run on Wednesday, 9 September, while her daughter remained at home. When she did not return that evening, the young girl contacted family members, setting in motion the search for her mother.
Relatives reported her missing, and police began following leads and checking hospitals and mortuaries. Community members also joined efforts to find her.
Her body reportedly bore severe injuries. Before the formal identification, family spokesperson Dawn Gouden explained that the injuries, together with the late hour, had prevented relatives from identifying the woman found on Saturday evening.
The family had asked the public to stop circulating unverified information while they awaited confirmation. Monday’s identification ended that uncertainty, confirming the loss of a mother whose young daughter had been the first to raise the alarm.
Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane has expressed her condolences to the family and promised a thorough investigation.
“The loss of a loved one under such circumstances is devastating, and we assure the family that the SAPS will do everything within its powers to establish exactly what happened to Elizabeth and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” Dimpane said.
She has instructed detectives and other specialised policing resources to intensify their work as the family awaits answers about Moselakgomo’s killing.
