Body of missing runner found in South Africa: 'It is very scary'

What the report says

South African police have confirmed that the body of missing jogger Elizabeth Moselakgomo was found east of Johannesburg, following a nationwide search appeal after she disappeared during a routine run last week. BBC Africa reports that her relatives identified her on Monday after the body was discovered on Saturday in Kempton Park, where police have also found the bodies of four other women in recent days.

According to the report, the five bodies were found in the same area and all had similar troubling characteristics, including being partially clothed or half-naked and showing bruising. Police said they were not yet describing the deaths as the work of a serial killer, but considered the similarities serious enough to issue a public warning. They urged women in Kempton Park to avoid walking or running alone, especially in isolated places.

The discovery has intensified concern over violence against women in South Africa, a country that already faces very high levels of gender-based violence. BBC Africa says tributes have poured in for Moselakgomo, a 29-year-old runner known as “Tsontso,” while fellow athletes and advocacy groups expressed fear and anger over women’s safety in public spaces. Police have opened a task team investigation, and one person has been arrested in connection with the first body found, though the remaining victims have not yet been identified.