Olorato Mongale murder: Main suspect killed in shootout with KZN cops
Olorato Mongale was recently found dead after going on a date.
The main suspect wanted in connection with the murder of Olorato Mongale has been killed in a shootout with KZN cops in the early hours of Friday morning.
According to KZN police spokesperson Robert Netshuinda, the suspect was fatally wounded in a shootout with police in the Amanzimtoti area.
The crime scene is still active.
Police said Mongale, 30, went on a date with her alleged killer, who picked her up from her residential complex, driving a white VW Polo on Sunday, 25 May 2025.
"He drove with the victim in the township of Alexandra, proceeded to Kew, and between Alexandra and Lombardy West in Johannesburg, this man allegedly murdered Olorato and dumped her body," said police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.

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Eyewitness News
14 hours ago
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The normalisation of femicide in South Africa
Bonolo Mahlatsi 6 June 2025 | 12:09 Femicide Gender-based violence (GBV) Women's Month A memorial service was held for Olorato Mongale in Bloemfontein on 29 May 2025. Picture: Katlego Jiyane/EWN Femicide, gender-based violence (GBV), and violence in general have become an integral part of life for South African women. This horrendous crime is a national crisis, plaguing society as a whole. Despite South Africa's robust legal framework, policies and strategic plans aimed at tackling GBV and femicide, such scourges are still escalating and appear to be deeply rooted in societal norms. The epidemic of femicide that South Africa is and has been facing is misogyny amplified, normalised, and reproduced. It has become normal for women to be violated and ostracised while already being vulnerable. The violence against women, and its normalisation, has once again come under the spotlight with the murder of Olorato Mongale, who was killed by a man she went on a first date with. The unfortunate and untimely passing of Olorato, a reminder of what South Africa has become for women, hit home for many individuals, including her friends, who tried to find her after her phone location indicated she was in a dangerous place. Upon realising she was missing, social media posts were circulated seeking assistance from the public about her whereabouts. Olorato was a postgraduate student. Her body was found in Lombardy West in Johannesburg on Sunday, less than two hours after she was picked up. THE SOCIAL MEDIA NARRATIVE However, as if the murder of yet another young woman was not bad enough, it was unfortunate to read the comments posted on social media, such as: "Why did she go out with a stranger?" "Why did she not drive herself to the date?" The posts blamed her for not taking extra measures to avoid putting herself in danger. The comments continued despite people learning about the safety measures Olorato had put in place, including sharing her location with friends. The comments suggest she did not know any better. Another grim and unfortunate instance of femicide was that of Sbusiso Lawrence, a KwaZulu-Natal man who took a disturbing video of himself 'unaliving' (killing) his partner in December 2024. Lawrence's video sparked outrage after he shared the traumatic incident on social media, where he attempted to justify his actions, saying he was triggered by being mistreated in their relationship and was seen with blood on his face. After confessing, he was later found hanging from a tree near the murder scene. The normalisation there was in people asking, "Why did she leave him? He was a good man." And even when it was later revealed that he had previously attempted to unalive her, negative remarks were still made about the victim. The narrative of victim-blaming became apparent following that incident. Again, we observed social media comments that her actions provoked his behaviour, which led to her death. 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We will soon be celebrating Women's Month, with our faces bowed with despondency from heartbreaking news we would have learned about since the year started and from previous years. Shortly after that, we will be celebrating 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, aware of the constant fear women live in. The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and the Portfolio Committee on Women should start stepping up intentionally and practically advocating for women (young and old) and uproot the persisting issue with the help of all women to mobilise our cry for help, safety, and not having to live in constant fear. Until that happens, as South African women, we will live in fear and be failed, which is appalling. Do we deserve to be treated like we are sub-human? Bonolo Mahlatsi is a Senior Student Experience Officer in the Centre for Teaching and Learning, and a Sociology master's graduate, UFS. She writes in her personal capacity.

TimesLIVE
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Mpumalanga teen girl charged for lying about rape ordeal
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