MBABANE — The local athletics fraternity has been plunged into deep emotional distress following the mysterious disappearance of South African runner Elizabeth Mokolo Moselakgomo, a figure well-known and cherished across the border.
The 38-year-old athlete, affectionately known to many as ‘Tsontso’, went missing on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, after stepping out of her Kempton Park home in Gauteng for an afternoon run. Panic ensued when she failed to return home that evening, leaving her eight-year-old daughter to alert family members.
The news has sent shockwaves through the local sports community, prompting a wave of sympathy and heartbreak across social media platforms. The bond between Eswatini and South African athletics runs deep, with emaSwati runners regularly competing in South African races and forging strong, lasting connections with their neighbouring counterparts.
Athletics Eswatini President Zakhele Dlamini, who also heads the Southern African Confederation of Athletics (SACA), took to her official Facebook page to share the missing runner’s details, reflecting the profound concern and unity felt within the regional sporting family.
According to South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) reports, police in Gauteng have intensified their search operations. South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that authorities have conducted extensive searches and made enquiries at local hospitals and mortuaries, but no trace of Moselakgomo has been found so far.
Local runners continue to keep Moselakgomo and her family in their thoughts, hoping for her swift and safe return as search efforts continue.
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