EKURHULENI KILLINGS: Suspects in court, but search for Elizabeth ‘Tsontso’ Moselakgomo’s killer continues

Three suspects appeared in Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court on Monday afternoon, 12 October 2026, in connection with a smartwatch belonging to murdered 38-year-old runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo. None of the suspects has been charged with Moselakgomo’s murder.

On Monday morning, the SAPS said that one suspect had been arrested and was likely to face a charge of being in possession of stolen property.

However, on Monday afternoon Kenneth Chibuzor, Stephen Sekhukhune and Danial Moat appeared in court, facing charges that arose from the possession, acquisition, and disposal of a Garmin Venu smartwatch that allegedly belonged to Moselakgomo.

While police have made a breakthrough in the investigation, none of the three men is charged with Moselakgomo’s murder. It remains unclear whether investigators have identified the person responsible for her killing.

Moselakgomo was last seen alive on 9 September 2026 after leaving her Kempton Park home to go for a run. Her eight-year-old daughter alerted relatives when her mom failed to return home at her usual time, and her family reported her to the police as missing.

Her body was discovered on Saturday, 12 September 2026, behind a hotel on York Street, Rhodesfield, Kempton Park. Her family identified her remains at Germiston Mortuary two days later.

Moselakgomo was the sixth of 12 women reported murdered in Ekurhuleni since July. Her murder reignited public outrage and frustration over the relentless violence against women in South Africa.

A SAPS task team was appointed to investigate the murders. Eleven women were found murdered in Ekurhuleni between July and September. The cases were concentrated around Kempton Park, the R21 highway, Clayville and Tembisa, while cases in Dawn Park and Springs are further removed.

One woman’s body was found outside Ekurhuleni, floating in Moroka Dam in Soweto.

Police pointed to similarities among the victims and the circumstances in which some of their bodies were found, but at the time cautioned against concluding that a serial killer may be operating in Gauteng.

On 29 September, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on the matter, in which he acknowledged the impact of gender-based violence against women and announced measures aimed at strengthening the state’s response to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

By Monday, 12 October, National SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk had not responded to Daily Maverick’s questions about the progress of the investigation and the implementation of Ramaphosa’s interventions.

Suspects have been arrested in four of the cases so far. 

Busisiwe Mahlangu’s (37) partner was arrested in connection with her murder two days after her body was found.

Three suspects were arrested for 33-year-old Jabulile Ntimba’s murder. One suspect was released because police did not have enough evidence to charge him. 

Police have said that Ntimba’s murder may have stemmed from a relationship-related matter, described as a possible “love triangle”.

At Ntimba’s funeral, on 24 September 2026, her uncle told Newzroom Afrika that one of the accused, Fortunate Masilela, was her neighbour. He believes Masilela and the others responsible for Ntimba’s murder staged the crime scene to match the previous Ekurhuleni femicide cases, to mislead investigators and make it appear as though Ntimba was a victim of an alleged “serial killer”.

The state has also reportedly launched an investigation into a life insurance policy linked to Ntimba. Masilela and her co-accused, Tsakane Msithini, remain in custody while the investigation continues.

Victor Rampedi (36) has been charged with 49-year-old Ntombifuthi Nxumalo’s murder. He remains in custody until his next appearance in Tembisa Magistrates’ Court set for 19 October 2026.

Charges

Moselakgomo’s watch had allegedly been acquired, bought and sold a couple of times, less than 24 hours after she was last seen alive.

Daily Maverick has seen a provisional charge sheet setting out the allegations against the three suspects. The police investigation is still under way, and the charges may change.

Kenneth Chibuzor is alleged to have bought the Garmin Venu smartwatch for R900 from an unidentified person. The charge sheet alleges that he did not record the seller’s details or keep the required transaction records under the Second-Hand Goods Act.

Chibuzor allegedly sold the watch to Stephen Sekhukhune, who registered it to his Gmail account at about 11.43am on 10 September 2026, after the watch’s settings and profile data had been erased. Sekhukhune allegedly sent photographs of the watch to Danial Moat, who bought it for R4,000. Moat later advertised it on Facebook Marketplace and sold it for the same amount.

Chibuzor faces a charge of contravening the Second-Hand Goods Act. The State has also listed an alternative charge alleging that he operated as a second-hand goods dealer without being registered.

All three men face money-laundering charges. The State alleges that their respective dealings with the watch involved property they knew, or reasonably should have known, was linked to unlawful activity. It further alleges that the transactions could have concealed the watch’s origins or helped someone avoid prosecution.

The three suspects also face a common-law theft charge. The State alleges that they acted individually or together to steal the watch, with the intention of permanently depriving its owner or lawful possessor of it.

The charge sheet lists two alternative allegations relating to stolen property. The first is that each suspect was found in possession of the watch, which was reasonably suspected to have been stolen, and could not satisfactorily explain how they came to possess it. The second alleges that they received or acquired stolen property without reasonable grounds to believe that the person who gave it to them was entitled to do so.

Sekhukhune and Moat were granted bail set at R10,000 each, while Chibuzor will remain in custody until the suspects’ next appearance on 19 October 2026.

The court also ordered that Chibuzor’s immigration status be verified, as he is a Nigerian citizen. DM