BREAKING | Ninth body found in Dawn Park, Ekurhuleni

Residents of Rhodesfield in Kempton Park have expressed confusion over why long-standing infrastructure issues, such as potholes, broken street lights, and sewage problems, were only addressed in the days leading up to the funeral of 38-year-old runner Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo. On a drive through the area, the Independent Online newspaper (IOL) observed numerous potholes scattered across several roads, but also noticed municipal workers actively repairing potholes and performing general cleaning outside Moselakgomo's family home.

Pothole repair and sewage issues were reported to have been addressed on Tuesday within the DA-run ward. While residents welcomed the repairs, they questioned why such infrastructural failures that had been repeatedly reported were finally being addressed as the community prepared for Moselakgomo's burial, whose murder had appalled Kempton Park.

Moselakgomo went missing on September 9 during an afternoon run; her body was discovered the following weekend and identified by her family on September 14. Tim Marshall, a Rhodesfield resident, expressed relief at the repairs but lamented that they came at a "painful cost," as the community had been facing unresolved lighting issues since 2019 and had endured prolonged electricity outages and scams involving stolen cables.

Community leader Liliwe Mlilwana criticized the ward's political leadership for failing to engage communities effectively, stating that their councillor had not adequately represented residents from Rhodesfield, Cresslawn, and areas close to Kempton Park's CBD. Instead, residents had to resort to logging complaints through the City of Ekurhuleni's reporting systems, with Ekurhuleni's Transport MMC responding to the complaints and dispatching municipal departments to address several outstanding problems, including street lighting, drainage, and pothole repair.

However, a resident expressed skepticism, describing the sudden intervention as a "show-off" project, concerned that the improvements would quickly deteriorate once the funeral was over, with no lasting services, security, or infrastructure improvements. Residents acknowledged their sympathy for Moselakgomo's family and welcomed the enhancements to their neighborhood, but they demanded that the same level of urgency be maintained long after the funeral. Ekurhuleni has frequently lamented the lack of quality services and effective policing in the area.