Seshego runners honour Tsontso and female victims

Runners from Seshego outside Polokwane came together on Thursday morning to honour the memory of the late runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo and stand in solidarity with women who have lost their lives to violence in South Africa.

Moselakgomo [38] disappeared on Wednesday, September 10, after leaving her home in Kempton Park for her routine afternoon run. Her body was positively identified by her family at the Germiston Forensic Pathology Service facility on Monday, 14 September. As of Thursday 17 September morning, nine bodies had reportedly been discovered in Gauteng.

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The 10km commemorative run started at 05:00 from the Seshego Circle Centre and brought together runners from various clubs across the area.

Dressed in black, the runners used their early-morning run to remember Moselakgomo and other female victims.

One of the organisers, Violet Mahlangu, said they were touched by what happened to Moselakgomo, who leaves behind an eight-year-old daughter.

“To be honest some of us had never met Tsontso but after hearing the news it was so sad and broke our hearts,” Mahlangu told Limpopo Chronicle.

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“So we had to regroup and start doing something, just to show some love. Obviously, an injury to one runner is an injury to all the runners,” she said.

Mahlangu says the run was also aimed at highlighting the growing safety challenges faced by female runners, adding that the fear experienced by women while running had become increasingly concerning.

“Some of us are scared. But we still have the brave ones because people are still saying we didn’t make an appointment with anyone,” said Mahlangu.

“So we have those brave ones who are not even scared of anything. But people like myself always look around checking. We are told to not even use headphones because you need to be vigilant.”’