KEY POINTS
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Nigerian Kenneth Chibuzor and two South Africans will return to court on December 9 over a slain runner’s smartwatch.
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Chibuzor remains in custody, while the other two suspects were granted bail of R10,000 each.
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None of the three has been charged with murder, and investigations into Moselakgomo’s death continue.
A Nigerian man and two South African men accused of handling and reselling a smartwatch belonging to a murdered South African runner will return to court on December 9 as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Kenneth Chibuzor, Stephen Mahlakwane Sekhukhune and Danial Anthony Moat appeared before the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court, where the case was postponed to allow further investigations.
The three men face charges connected to the alleged theft, possession and resale of the Garmin smartwatch belonging to 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo. They have not been charged with her murder, and the allegations against them have yet to be proven in court.
Nigerian suspect remains in custody
Chibuzor, who reportedly operated a second-hand goods shop in Kempton Park, remains in custody. His formal bail application is scheduled for October 27. Sekhukhune and Moat, meanwhile, were granted bail of R10,000 each.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the court had also ordered that Chibuzor’s immigration status be verified because he is a Nigerian citizen.
The case centres on how the smartwatch allegedly changed hands shortly after Moselakgomo was last seen alive.
How the smartwatch allegedly changed hands
According to the prosecution, Moselakgomo’s smartwatch was allegedly acquired less than 24 hours after she was last seen on September 9, 2026, when she left her home for a run.
The State alleges that Chibuzor bought the device for R900 from an unidentified individual. Prosecutors claim he failed to record the seller’s identification details and transaction information required under South African law governing second-hand goods dealers.
Chibuzor allegedly sold the smartwatch to Sekhukhune on September 10.
The prosecution further alleges that Sekhukhune erased Moselakgomo’s profile information and settings, registered the device to his Gmail account and then sold it to Moat for R4,000.
Moat allegedly advertised the smartwatch on social media before selling it to another buyer for the same amount.
The fourth individual has not been charged. According to reports, investigators found insufficient evidence to link that person to the alleged offences.
Charges against the three men
Chibuzor faces charges relating to alleged violations of the Second-Hand Goods Act, money laundering and theft. The charges also include alternative allegations involving possession of goods reasonably suspected to have been stolen or receiving stolen property without reasonable grounds to believe the seller was entitled to dispose of it.
Sekhukhune and Moat face money laundering and theft charges, with alternative allegations involving possession of or receiving stolen property.
The charges concern the alleged handling and resale of the smartwatch, rather than Moselakgomo’s killing.
The NPA has said it intends to hold people accountable for allegedly benefiting from criminal activities. The prosecution of the three men remains separate from the ongoing investigation into the runner’s death.
Investigation into runner’s death continues
Moselakgomo was reported missing after leaving her home in Kempton Park for a run on September 9.
Her body was discovered in Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, on September 12. Her family formally identified her remains at the Germiston Mortuary on September 14.
Following the discovery, acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane pledged that those responsible for her death would be brought to justice.
Police subsequently established a specialised, multidisciplinary team to investigate killings of women in Ekurhuleni.
Authorities have continued investigating the circumstances of Moselakgomo’s death. However, the available report does not establish a confirmed link between the three men accused in the smartwatch case and the killing itself.
The suspects are expected to return to the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on December 9 as further investigations proceed.
