Olorato Mongale's death: Why South African women can't simply 'be careful' to avoid femicide
Why women in South Africa can't just 'be careful' to avoid violence.
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Olorato Mongale, a 30-year-old journalism graduate and WITS student, was recently found dead after going on a date. Police have announced that they have arrested one suspect and are searching for two more.
On that tragic day, Mongale was picked up by her alleged date, sparking discussions about the precautions that South African women are expected to take to navigate the country's femicide crisis.
Women For Change founder Sabrina Walter told IOL that she is exhausted by the same cycle of grief, outrage, and hollow discussions that follow every femicide.
"The conversation shifts to what she could have done differently, as if women are responsible for their own murders," she said. "I am tired of being asked what 'precautions' women should take when the real question should be: Why are men still getting away with murder?"
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Walter asserted that Mongale did not die due to a lack of precautions, but because men who were reportedly out on bail gained access to her and ultimately murdered her.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said two of the suspects are currently on the run, Bongani Mthimkhulu and Philangenkosi Makhanya were previously arrested and charged for kidnapping and robbery.
Mathe said the syndicate preys on young women at malls. "We are investigating a syndicate. These men use the same modus operandi where they approach these young women at malls and ask to take them out on dates. When these women agree, that is when they plan to rob them," she said.
Walter questioned why these men were free after the charges levelled against them.
"Why does our justice system continue to fail women? Why is there no accountability for a system that allows violent men to roam free despite previous charges of kidnapping and robbery?
"We are not dying because we aren't being careful enough. We are dying because our government is not doing enough. Where is President Ramaphosa while women are being murdered in their homes, on university campuses, in post offices, while going out on a date? Where is his leadership when we really need him?"
Expressing the same sentiments, Mukhethwa Dzhugudzha said that the discourse about precautions should be shutdown. According to Dzhugudzha, Mongale was not reckless as she told her friends where she was going and even shared her location.
On victim blaming and telling women to pick better, he said: "Abusers don't come with a label on their foreheads. They act like regular people... When you are telling women to be more careful, you are admitting that violence is normal and you're telling them to expect it from all men."
He questioned why it is a woman's responsibility to avoid danger instead of violent men ceasing to perform cruel acts on a vulnerable population. "The truth is that women can do everything right, take every precaution and still end up like Olarato because it isn't women's judgment, it's men's entitlement"
Presenting the fourth quarter crime figures for the 2024/25 financial year, police minister Senzo Mchunu said statistics revealed a decrease in murder rates but a rise in gender-based violence (GBV).
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