Nine women were found murdered in Johannesburg’s East Rand over two months, prompting some women runners to carry pepper spray or change routines. Police have arrested three people in connection with Kempton Park killings, but have not said whether the cases are linked.
Elizabeth Moselakgomo, 38, left home for a run on Sept. 9 and was found dead three days later. A man is in custody over one of the murders, while two women have been charged over another.
The killings have prompted vigils, protests and solidarity runs across South Africa. The government said its 24-hour Gender-Based Violence Command Centre received 6,782 distress calls from Sept. 1 to 16, a 21% increase from the same period in August.
