"It Needs to Stop": Lady Recalls Bond With Domestic Worker And Fellow Runner amid Ekurhuleni Murders

• TikToker @maryke_nel shared a video of Nesta's first run, dedicating it to Elizabeth Moselakgomo, who never returned from her jog
• The clip surfaced amid growing fears over a serial killer targeting women in Ekurhuleni
• Female runners across South Africa said they had stopped training outdoors because they no longer feel safe

A TikTok video shared by @maryke_nel on 16 September 2026 started as a celebration and ended as something much heavier. In the clip filmed on a suburban street, Maryke ran alongside Nesta, a domestic worker widely known for joining neighbourhood runs, cheering her on as she completed her very first run.

The text in the clip read: "Let women run." A closing caption dedicates the video to Tsontso, who went out for a run and never made it home.

The tribute by @maryke_nel lands differently given the current climate in Ekurhuleni, where reports of women being attacked and killed while exercising outdoors have left female runners across Gauteng shaken. Maryke's video captured a moment of joy between two women, but it also reflected something deeply uncomfortable: that for women, something as ordinary as going for a run now carries risk. Watch the video that started the conversation:

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Cape Town runners honour Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo in emotional tribute for women’s safety

Mzansi women speak out

South African women flooded the comments with their own experiences:

Botlhale Selamolela wrote:

"So scary that each and every woman living normally, even in that, they are prone to violence. You always run with the lady, and I pray that both of you remain safe."

@Simplysweet said:

"I am also no longer going for walks. I'll exercise at home from now on."

Skye shared:

"I am a female runner in Kempton Park. I decided to put my running on hold at the moment because I don't feel safe anymore. I am part of the RWFL group. But my goal is wanting to run Comrades so that requires me to train every day. My husband works late, so he can't drive behind me. My mental health feels like it is going downhill because I can't go outside anymore, I can't walk my dog, I can't run. Mr President, when will this stop?"

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Minister visits where Elizabeth Moselakgomo was found dead, but South Africans remain sceptical

Keitumetse added:

"I'm a runner, it's been two days now without running. Running was my therapy; now I don't even know what to do with my life."

Other Briefly News stories about Elizabeth Moselakgomo's murder

• Dozens of Cape Town runners gathered at the iconic Mouille Point Lighthouse to pay a silent tribute to slain Kempton Park runner Elizabeth Moselakgomo.
• Local runners gathered in Kempton Park to hold a solemn moment of silence in honour of Elizabeth Moselakgomo and other recent murder victims in Ekurhuleni.
• A South African content creator posted an emotional video reflecting on the murder of runner Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo, offering crucial safety advice to female runners across the country.

Source: Briefly News