Kempton Park residents demand answers as urgent repairs follow Tsontso’s death

Residents of Rhodesfield in Kempton Park say long-running service delivery problems are being addressed only after the death of runner Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, whose disappearance and death shook the community.

A sudden flurry of repairs

Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo disappeared on September 9 while out on an afternoon run. Her body was discovered the following weekend and identified by her family on September 14. In the days before her funeral municipal crews were seen working on roads and street infrastructure in the area.

According to IOL, on a drive through the area, IOL saw potholes scattered across several roads. However, outside Moselakgomo’s family home, municipal workers were busy patching potholes and doing general cleaning.

Residents question timing

Locals welcomed the repairs but said the timing raised questions. Some described the attention as overdue after repeated complaints to municipal authorities about broken streetlights, potholes and sewage.

One resident told IOL that sewage problems had also been addressed on Tuesday in the DA-run ward. Others said they had repeatedly logged complaints through the City of Ekurhuleni’s reporting systems.

Community leaders respond

Community leader Liliwe Mlilwana criticised the ward’s political leadership for poor engagement with residents of Rhodesfield, Cresslawn and areas near Kempton Park’s CBD, saying regular public meetings had not been held to address service-delivery problems.

According to IOL, residents contacted Ekurhuleni’s Transport MMC on Tuesday, after which municipal departments arrived to address several outstanding problems. Mlilwana said the departments were dealing with drainage and the energy department was working to restore streetlights.

Unease remains

Some neighbours said the repairs felt like a short-term response timed to the funeral. One resident, who asked not to be named, described the intervention as a “show-off” project and said they feared services would lapse again after the funeral.

Others expressed sympathy for Moselakgomo’s family and welcomed the improvements while insisting they wanted the same urgency applied consistently, not only in the aftermath of a tragedy.

“We have had a lot of issues with this road; as you can see, they are fixing it now. We haven’t had lights in the streets, from a safety point of view, since 2019,”

Residents also told IOL that cable theft has contributed to prolonged electricity outages and that, at times, they had to pay to reconnect stolen cables.

What residents want

Local voices say the repairs are welcome but must be sustained. They want consistent maintenance, reliable street lighting and regular engagement from elected representatives so that service delivery does not depend on a high-profile tragedy to prompt action.