Eight-year-old Khumo Moselakgomo stood before mourners in Mpumalanga on Sunday and delivered a deeply personal tribute to her mother, Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, whose death has left a family and community searching for answers.
Khumo’s tribute came during her mother’s funeral service in Pankop township, where relatives, friends and members of the community gathered to say their final farewell to the 38-year-old runner and Festival Mall centre manager.
Moselakgomo is one of nine women whose deaths are being investigated in Ekurhuleni following a series of bodies discovered across the area since July. Police have been investigating the circumstances surrounding each death and whether there are links between the cases.
Moselakgomo disappeared after leaving her Kempton Park home for her regular run on September 10. When she failed to return, Khumo realised that something was wrong and alerted relatives.
Her uncle, Andries Moroka Matlala, previously praised the eight-year-old for recognising that her mother had not returned at the usual time and raising the alarm. The family later identified Moselakgomo’s body at the Germiston mortuary.
At the funeral, Khumo spoke directly to the mother she had lost.
“Dearest mother, how heartbreaking that you left me. The day feels quiet without your voice, but your love is still here, surrounding me with love.”
She spoke of the memories they shared and the things she would no longer be able to experience with her mother.
“I may not hold your hand or see your beautiful smile, but all the memories we have made will stay with me forever.”
Khumo said that when she feels lonely and misses her mother, she will look towards the sky and imagine that Moselakgomo is still watching over her.
“When I feel sad and miss you, I will look up to the sky and imagine you are watching me from above with love in your eyes.”
The eight-year-old also expressed her longing to have her mother back.
“I wish I could hug you. I wish you can be here. But I carry you inside my heart, so you can always be nearby.”
Khumo promised to carry the memories of her mother with her as she grows older, ending her tribute with a declaration of love.
“Your beautiful daughter loves you so much. She misses you every day, but I know that I have gained a beautiful angel in you.”
She then signed off her tribute:
“Love, your beautiful princess Khumo. Thank you.”
The funeral came amid a wider investigation into the deaths of women in Ekurhuleni. While nine women have been found dead in the area since July, police have cautioned against assuming that all the cases are connected.
For Khumo, however, Sunday’s service was ultimately about saying goodbye to her mother and holding on to the memories they created together.
An education fundraising campaign launched following Moselakgomo’s death has also raised more than R100,000 to support Khumo’s education and future needs. IOL reported that the campaign had surpassed its original R50,000 target.
