GAUTENG – Three men appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Monday in connection with the alleged theft and resale of a smartwatch belonging to murdered runner Elizabeth Moselakgomo (38).

The accused are Kenneth Chibuzor, Stephen Mahlakwane Sekhukhune and Danial Anthony Moat. They face charges including money laundering, theft and possession of stolen property.

Runner disappeared during afternoon jog

Moselakgomo went missing on 9 September when she left her Rhodesfield home for an afternoon run and never returned. Her eight-year-old daughter raised the alarm when her mother failed to come home.

Police found her body on 12 September behind a hotel in Rhodesfield. She was wearing sports clothing and was partially clothed. Her family identified her body at Germiston mortuary two days later.

The State alleges the smartwatch was acquired less than 24 hours after Moselakgomo was last seen and was subsequently sold and resold by the accused.

Smartwatch sold multiple times after murder

Chibuzor, who operated a second-hand goods shop in Kempton Park, allegedly acquired the smartwatch for R900 from an unidentified person without obtaining and recording the required identification details and transaction particulars as prescribed by law. He faces charges relating to contraventions of the Second-Hand Goods Act 6 of 2009, money laundering, theft, alternatively possession of goods reasonably suspected to have been stolen, or receiving stolen property without reasonable cause to believe that the transferor was entitled to dispose of it.

The State alleges Chibuzor sold the smartwatch to Sekhukhune on 10 September. On the same day, Sekhukhune allegedly registered the smartwatch to his Gmail account after the deceased’s profile information and settings had been erased. He then sold the device to Moat for R4 000.

Moat later advertised the smartwatch on social media and sold it for R4 000 to a fourth person. The fourth person has not been enrolled as an accused due to insufficient evidence linking them to the alleged offences.

Sekhukhune and Moat face charges of money laundering and theft, alternatively possession of or receiving stolen property.

The court postponed the matter to 19 October for Chibuzor’s bail application. The court also ordered that his immigration status be verified, as he is a Nigerian citizen.

NPA spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole said the National Prosecuting Authority remains committed to ensuring that individuals who allegedly benefit from criminal activities are held accountable and that justice is served for victims and their families.

Part of broader Ekurhuleni investigation

Moselakgomo has become the face of multiple female victims whose bodies were discovered dumped around Kempton Park and other Ekurhuleni areas. By 2 October, police had recovered the bodies of 12 women across Kempton Park, Kwa-Thema and Tembisa. Three bodies remained unidentified and police had resolved three cases.

ALSO READ: Missing jogger Elizabeth Moselakgomo identified as Kempton Park murder victim

The runner was buried in Phake, Mpumalanga, on 20 September.

The named victims include Busisiwe Mahlangu, Itumeleng Kekana, Nomfesane Mjobo, Gracious Nkomo (28), Dineo Evelyn Motapane (38) and Jabulile Ntimba. Police charged two women in connection with Ntimba’s death, saying the case may have arisen from a love triangle.

Police have not confirmed if Moselakgomo’s murder is linked to the other women’s deaths in Ekurhuleni. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said investigations are ongoing.

A multidisciplinary task team including murder and robbery detectives, forensic specialists, investigative psychologists and digital investigators is working on the cases. President Cyril Ramaphosa said the CSIR is assisting with digital forensic work.

ALSO READ: Woman’s body found in Boksburg brings Ekurhuleni death toll to nine