The femicide crisis in South Africa: Unraveling the murder of Olorato Mongale
The tragic murder of 30-year-old Olorato Mongale has rocked South Africa and further exposed a highly sophisticated criminal syndicate that targets women.
The incident
On May 25, Mongale, a postgraduate student at the University of the Witwatersrand, went on a date with a man she had recently met.
CCTV footage captured her leaving her residence in Athol, Johannesburg, and getting into a white VW Polo with what was later revealed as cloned licence plates.
Police investigations revealed that the two drove to Alexandra, then to Kew.
According to police, between Alexandra and Lombardy West in Johannesburg, this suspect allegedly murdered Olorato and dumped her body.
"Some of the belongings of the victim, which include her mobile phone and handbag were found abandoned in Kew, Johannesburg," stated national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
The discovery of Mongale's body sparked public outrage and calls for justice.
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Eyewitness News
2 hours ago
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Olorato Mongale's family pleads with SAns to show compassion to man cleared as suspect in her murder
BLOEMFONTEIN - The family of Olorato Mongale is pleading with South Africans to show compassion towards Fezile Ngubane, the man police cleared in connection with the 30-year-old's murder. Ngubane was taken in for questioning last week, but authorities have since confirmed that he played no role in Mongale's death. The master's student was laid to rest in Bloemfontein on Sunday, a week after her body was found dumped in Lombardy West in Gauteng. ALSO READ: - Olorato Mongale's mother vows to follow her daughter's advice and live life to the fullest - Olorato Mongale murder: After being cleared as a suspect, Fezile Ngubane vows to turn life around - Olorato Mongale murder: Family of man who turned himself in feared he would be killed by vigilantes Although Ngubane was cleared by police in the matter, Mongale's family said it was worried that the damage had already been done, fearing he may now face unfair stigma. They said that Mongale would not have wanted Ngubane to pay for a crime he didn't commit, adding that the 30-year-old would have wanted the KwaZulu-Natal man to rebuild his life. The Mongale family said that Ngubane was also a casualty, adding they believed that Olorato fought for justice from beyond the grave. "The most incredible thing that happened with Olorato is that as she goes, as she bows out, she made sure that a co-victim is liberated because he was wrongfully accused," said family spokesperson Chriselda Kananda. The family said they were still searching for closure, with the second suspect still on the run.
Eyewitness News
2 hours ago
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JOHANNESBURG - After being mistakenly being named as a suspect in the murder of Olorato Mongale, Fezile Ngubane has vowed to turn his life around. Following the killing of Mongale, police released a picture of Ngubane, branding him as a wanted suspect. ALSO READ: - Olorato Mongale murder: Family of man who turned himself in feared he would be killed by vigilantes - Olorato Mongale's family says it won't find peace until all suspects in her murder brought to justice - Olorato Mongale funeral: 'We will not rest until we find Bongani Mthimkhulu' - deputy police minister But after handing himself over to police on Friday, Ngubane was cleared of the allegations when investigations showed that his identity was being used by the masterminds. Mongale's body was found in Johannesburg a few hours after she went missing. Fezile spends most of his days washing cars and smoking whoonga, a common drug also known as nyoape. It's not how his parents imagined his life would turn out after he enrolled for a qualification in civil engineering at the Mangosuthu University of Technology many years ago. Fezile's father, Mandlakhe Ngubane, said the incident was a wake-up call for him not to waste his life. "He was very smart. He is naturally a smart person. I sent him to a Muslim school in Johannesburg, but he was expelled in Grade 11 because of the drugs he was smoking." Mandlakhe said that while Fezile finished his matric, he could never shake off the drugs, which eventually destroyed his potential. The main suspect in Mongale's murder was killed during a shootout with police in KwaZulu-Natal last week, while a second suspect is still on the run.
The Citizen
4 hours ago
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Police hunt second suspect in Olorato Mongale's murder
Law enforcement will not rest until another suspect in the murder of journalist Olorato Mongale is apprehended, Police Deputy Minister Dr Polly Boshielo said. The 30-year-old was killed last Sunday after leaving her Johannesburg home to go on a date, reportedly with her alleged killer. Her body was found hours later in Lombardy East, sparking a multi-provincial manhunt for the suspects. Speaking at her funeral service held at City Hall in Bloemfontein yesterday, Boshielo called on the public — and those who know the suspect — to advise him to hand himself over to the nearest police station. 'We will also not rest until we find Bongani Mthimkhulu. If you know him, advise him to surrender to the nearest police station,' she said. The deputy minister emphasised that SAPS is committed to combating gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). 'The fight against gender-based violence and femicide is a national priority for the South African Police Service, and it is for this very reason that maximum resources are always deployed to investigate GBVF cases and also track down GBVF perpetrators,' she said. Upon learning of the case last Sunday, the SAPS swiftly mobilised resources, including the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Team and the Gauteng Provincial Investigating Unit, to assist the Sandringham Police Station in tracking down a perpetrator known as 'John'. The investigation led authorities to a lodge in Kew, Johannesburg, and subsequently to KZN, where they discovered a VW Polo vehicle with traces of blood. The vehicle was linked to Philangenkosi Makhanya, who was identified as 'John'. On Friday morning, police located Makhanya at a block of apartments in Amanzimtoti. When police announced their arrival, he opened fire, and officers returned fire, resulting in his death at the scene. In his possession, police found more than 27 ID smart cards belonging to various men and about 20 cellphones. Boshielo revealed that Makhanya and his alleged accomplice, Bongani Mthimkhulu, operated a syndicate targeting women across various malls in the country. 'We are still searching for Bongani Mthimkhulu because we have narrowed our investigation and now know that Philangenkosi Makhanya and Bongani Mthimkhulu were working together and they were a syndicate that was targeting women in various malls across the country,' she said. Syndicate The investigation has linked the duo to 22 cases of kidnapping and robbery, with women from across the country positively identifying them as the perpetrators. Highlighting the broader impact of the syndicate's activities, Boshielo noted that similar cases have been reported in Bloemfontein, Mbombela, Midrand, Pretoria, Potchefstroom, Lebowakgomo, and Johannesburg. Addressing the family at the funeral service, Boshielo reassured them of the government's commitment to justice. 'To the family, to the mother Poppy, we may not have been able to prevent the death of your child but be rest assured that one of her perpetrators is in permanent custody and will never rise up again to terrorise other women,' she said. The deputy minister called for a collaborative effort to end GBVF. 'GBVF is a crime that happens behind closed doors between two people that know each other and where we cannot always be as the police. Let's all stand together and work together to put a stop to GBVF in our country,' the deputy minister said. Police clear Fezile Ngubane In a statement on Saturday, the SAPS informed the nation that Fezile Ngubane, who was initially identified as a suspect in a syndicate targeting young women, has been cleared. This follows his father handing him over to the KwaMashu Police Station on Friday after learning his son was sought by police in the Olorato murder case. 'A multidisciplinary team led by the deputy [police] commissioner for crime detection in Gauteng, Major General Mbuso Khumalo, the SAPS National Anti-Kidnapping Task Team, and KZN and Gauteng investigating units have now cleared Ngubane following a thorough interview and preliminary investigation. 'According to a preliminary report, Ngubane washes cars for a living and stays in the same neighbourhood as deceased Philangenkosi Makhanya,' said the SAPS. Makhanya allegedly identified Ngubane as a soft target and took his ID smart card, using it to Rica Sim cards that Makhanya would use to commit his long list of kidnapping and robbery crimes targeting young women. Ngubane's ID was among the 27 smart cards found in Makhanya's possession. 'The SAPS has also released the parents of one of the two suspects in the case after their statements were taken down. Police are sitting with at least 20 cases where women have come forward identifying the suspects as those that kidnapped and robbed them. 'The search for Bongani Mthimkhulu continues, and police once again call on him to hand himself over at his nearest police station,' the police said on Saturday. –
