Are women safe anywhere?
The discovery of another woman’s body in Gauteng has reignited a difficult conversation about women’s safety in South Africa.
On East Coast Breakfast, Carmen Reddy, Darren Maule and Sky Tshabalala discussed the case after the body of Elizabeth 'Tsontso' Moselakgomo was discovered near Olifantsfontein.
According to the discussion, police were investigating whether her death could be connected to several other bodies found in the Kempton Park area in the space of two months. At the time, authorities had not confirmed that the cases were linked or that a serial killer was involved.
For Carmen, however, the story raised a much bigger question: Are women safe anywhere?
Another tragic case raises questions about women’s safety
The case had already attracted attention on social media after a search for Moselakgomo, a mother, was widely shared.
When news emerged that her body had been found, the conversation on East Coast Breakfast quickly moved beyond the investigation itself to the reality many South African women face every day.
Carmen described the situation as part of a broader and long-running problem of violence against women, saying women are constantly having to think about their safety, whether they are exercising, travelling, living alone or simply going about their daily lives.
The team also discussed the added vulnerability faced by women who live alone or who may not have family members immediately checking in on them.
Why should women have to change how they live?
One point particularly troubled the team: advice that women should avoid running alone and instead exercise in groups.
Sky questioned why women should have to restrict their freedom in ways men often do not.
He pointed out that he had recently gone running alone without giving it a second thought.
For Carmen, that difference summed up the frustration.
Women are routinely told to be more alert, travel together, change their routines and take additional precautions. Yet the fundamental question remains: why should women have to organise their lives around the possibility of violence?
Police continue to investigate
During the conversation, Carmen stressed that police had not officially declared the deaths the work of a serial killer.
She said the cases appeared to share similarities, but investigators had not publicly disclosed details of a possible modus operandi and were still working to establish whether the deaths were connected.
The East Coast Breakfast team also questioned whether South African authorities have enough resources to properly investigate complex cases of this nature.
But beyond the specifics of one investigation, the conversation reflected a fear that will be familiar to many women across the country.
Going for a run should be ordinary.
Living alone should be ordinary.
Travelling somewhere by yourself should be ordinary.
Yet for many women, even the most routine activities come with an additional calculation: Is it safe?
Could the East Rand deaths be connected?
To better understand what investigators may be looking for, Dr Gérard Labuschagne, former head of the SAPS Investigative Psychology Section, joined East Coast Breakfast to unpack the case.
He explains the kinds of patterns investigators would examine when trying to determine whether multiple deaths are connected, what similarities could point to the same offender, and why authorities may be cautious about using the term “serial killer” before enough evidence has been established.
Listen to Dr Labuschagne’s full analysis below.
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