Latest news with #FezileNgubane
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Top 10 stories of the day: Suspect cleared in kidnapping case
Here's your daily news update for Saturday, 31 May 2025: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. As police continue their search for a suspect wanted in connection with the kidnapping of women, another man was cleared of any wrongdoing on Saturday. The South African Police Service (Saps) confirmed that Fezile Ngubane, who was previously identified as a suspect in a syndicate targeting young women, has been cleared of any wrongdoing and released from police custody. In other news, the City of Tshwane has warned its residents that the city's water woes could worsen if they continue to consume water at the current rate. While Rand Water conducts its 107-hour planned major maintenance, which will affect parts of the City of Tshwane, the municipality has urged residents to conserve water to avoid further outages. Weather tomorrow: 01 June 2025 The weather service predicts fine and cool to warm conditions; however, it will be partly cloudy over the northeastern parts of South Africa as well as along the southwest coast, with possible damaging waves along the south coast. Full weather forecast here. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way. Fezile Ngubane is a victim, not suspect in kidnapping case, says Saps Ngubane was handed over to police by his father on Friday at the KwaMashu police station after reports emerged linking him to the ongoing Olorato murder case. Fezile Ngubane. Picture: Supplied/ Saps According to Saps, Ngubane earns a living washing cars and resides in the same neighbourhood as the deceased suspect Philangenkosi Makhanya. CONTINUE READING: Fezile Ngubane is a victim, not suspect in kidnapping case, says Saps Veteran journalist and editor Andrew Trench has died The media industry is mourning the death of veteran journalist and editor Andrew Trench. Veteran journalist and editor Andrew Trench. Picture: Facebook Trench, who worked for several major publications both in South Africa and abroad, died on Friday evening surrounded by family. He had been battling oesophageal cancer. CONTINUE READING: Veteran journalist and editor Andrew Trench has died Tshwane's water warning to residents City of Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba on Friday urged residents of Region 6 and some parts of regions 2 and 3 to urgently reduce their water consumption after levels at the city's reservoirs dropped significantly. Picture: Stock Bokaba said the continuation of high consumption was likely to put consumers in these regions at risk of having no water until the work is completed. CONTINUE READING: Tshwane's water warning to residents PODCAST: What closure of Nissan Rosslyn plant means for Mzansi The Nissan plant in Rosslyn outside Pretoria faces closure in the Japanese carmaker's desperate attempt to cut its global losses. Nissan will close seven of its current 17 factories by 2027, one reportedly being the Rosslyn Plant outside Pretoria. Photo by MATTHIAS BALK / DPA / dpa Picture-Alliance via AFP The local factory is one of seven global assembly facilities on the chopping block as Nissan plans to reduce its plants from 17 to 10 by 2027. CONTINUE READING: PODCAST: What closure of Nissan Rosslyn plant means for Mzansi Truck driver found twenty times over the legal alcohol limit in KZN The Road Traffic Inspectorate, working with the South African Police Service (Saps), have arrested a truck driver for drinking and driving in Van Reenen along the N3 Freeway. Picture: Supplied According to Duma, another driver was caught driving a truck and blew 2.0mg/1000ml, which is twenty times more than the legal limit of 0.10mg /1000ml. CONTINUE READING: Truck driver found twenty times over the legal alcohol limit in KZN Here are five more news stories of the day: Yesterday's News recap READ HERE: Trump's pastor: No white genocide | Spar bleeds billions| Mongale murder suspect shot dead
The Herald
9 hours ago
- General
- The Herald
Fezile Ngubane is a victim, not involved in Olorato Mongale's killing: police
KwaZulu-Natal man Fezile Ngubane who was initially identified as a suspect sought by police in the Olorato Mongale murder and said to be in a syndicate targeting young women has been cleared. Mongale was last seen leaving her flat in northern Johannesburg for a date with a man who called himself 'John' on Sunday afternoon. Her body was later discovered in Lombardy East near Alexandra. The white VW Polo used to pick up Mongale was found at a panel-beating workshop in Phoenix in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday. Police initially identified Philangenkosi Makhanya and Ngubane as people of interest in the murder. On Thursday morning police identified a third man, Bongani Mthimkhulu, who is a friend of Makhanya, as an additional suspect. National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said on Saturday Ngubane's father handed him over to KwaMashu police on Friday when he learnt his son was being sought by police in the Mongale murder case. 'A multidisciplinary team led by the deputy provincial commissioner for crime detection in Gauteng, Maj-Gen Mbuso Khumalo, the SAPS national anti-kidnapping task team, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provincial investigating unit (PIU) have now cleared Ngubane after a thorough interview and preliminary investigation.' A preliminary report found Ngubane washes cars for a living and stays in the same neighbourhood as Makhanya, who died during a confrontation with police at an Amanzimtoti flat on Friday. Mathe said Makhanya allegedly identified Ngubane as a soft target and took his ID smart card and used it to Rica SIM cards. These were alleged used by Makhanya to commit kidnapping and robbery involving young women. Makhanya is alleged to have also used Ngubane's bank card at various clothing stores. Ngubane's ID was found as part of a batch of 27 ID smart cards found on Friday in Makhanya's possession at a flat belonging to a man who rents vehicles. Mathe said the parents of one of the two suspects were released after they deposed statements. 'Police are sitting with at least 20 cases where women have come forward identifying the suspects as those that kidnapped and robbed them. Some of these cases were reported in Potchefstroom, Bloemfontein, Midrand, Ogies and Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, Pretoria and Johannesburg.' She said the search for Mthimkhulu continues. TimesLIVE
News24
12 hours ago
- General
- News24
Olorato Mongale murder: One man cleared, released from police custody
Fezile Ngubane, who was previously linked to the murder of Olorato Mongale, has been cleared by police. Police said Ngubane's father voluntarily brought him to the KwaMashu police station on Friday. A preliminary report revealed that Ngubane, who resides in the same neighbourhood as the late suspect Philangenkosi Makhanya, was unknowingly exploited. One of the men previously wanted in connection with Olorato Mongale's murder has been released from police custody, without any charges being filed, police said on Saturday. National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said Fezile Ngubane's father voluntarily brought him to the KwaMashu police station on Friday when he learnt that his son had been linked to the ongoing murder investigation. However, Mathe said that, after thorough interviews and an initial investigation conducted by a multidisciplinary team, Ngubane was officially cleared of wrongdoing. Mathe said Ngubane, who apparently works as a car washer and resides in the same neighbourhood as the late suspect Philangenkosi Makhanya, was unknowingly exploited. 'Makhanya allegedly identified Ngubane as a soft target and took his ID smart card and used it to Rica SIM cards that Makhanya would use to commit his long list of kidnapping and robbery crimes targeted at young women. 'At times, it's alleged that he would use Ngubane's bank card to buy at various clothing stores,' Mathe said. Mathe said Ngubane's identity card was among the 27 ID 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,' she said. Mathe said police had recorded 20 cases where women had come forward to identify the suspects as those who had kidnapped and robbed them. Police previously identified Ngubane, Makhanya, 28, Bongani Mthimkhulu, 34, as suspects sought in connection with the killing of 30-year-old Mongale. Mongale's badly beaten body was discovered on 34 Cambridge Road, outside a car workshop in Lombardy West on Sunday. She was last seen on Sunday afternoon, climbing into a white Polo Volkswagen with cloned number plates, outside her complex in Atholl, Johannesburg. Mongale was under the impression that she was going on a date with a man she had met in Bloemfontein while visiting family. The man called himself 'John'. Makhanya was killed during a shootout with KwaZulu-Natal police after he was located at an apartment in Amanzimtoti, south of Durban, in the early hours of Friday morning. Makhanya was found in possession of 28 identity cards, a safe, and 'not less than' 20 cellphones. News24 previously reported that KwaZulu-Natal's police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, said that Makhanya had allegedly confessed to the murder and wanted to take his own life before he was gunned down. Mkhwanazi said that, according to the owner of the apartment, Makhanya confessed to him what he did in Johannesburg, and that he wanted to take his own life. 'There is a person who deals with hiring vehicles and is renting out an apartment here. The suspect has previously rented a car from him. The guy says, upon seeing his [Makhanya's] face on social media, he decided that he was not going to give him the vehicle. 'He stayed with him the whole day trying to convince him to hand himself over to the police, which he refused,' he told reporters at the scene. Meanwhile, Mthimkhulu remains at large. 'The search for Bongani Mthimkhulu continues, and police once again call on Mthimkhulu to hand himself over at his nearest police station,' Mathe said.
The Herald
2 days ago
- General
- The Herald
Two suspects in Olorato Mongale case are on bail for kidnapping, robbery
The suspects are linked to various other cases, she said. Mongale's body was discovered at the weekend, abandoned in Lombardy, outside Alexandra, northern Johannesburg. On Wednesday night, police issued a statement saying they had identified Makhanya and Fezile Ngubane as people of interest in the murder. This after the white VW Polo that picked up Mongale from her Joburg residence for a date was found at a panel-beating workshop in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal. On Thursday morning police identified a third man, Mthimkhulu, a friend of Makhanya, as the additional suspect. The police are looking for all three men. Mathe urged anyone who spots the suspects to immediately contact Brig Edwin Nama on 082-778-9035. SowetanLIVE
News24
2 days ago
- General
- News24
Olorato Mongale murder suspect killed during shootout with police in KZN
The main suspect wanted for the murder of Olorato Mongale has been killed in a shootout with police in the early hours of Friday morning. According to police, a takedown operation was put into action after they received information that one of the suspects was hiding in a residential complex in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said when police announced their arrival, the man shot at the officers, who then returned fire and he was fatally wounded. Police have not yet disclosed the name of the suspect, but it is understood to be the man Mongale initially met for a date on the day she was murdered. Police previously identified Bongani Mthimkhulu, Philangenkosi Makhanya and Fezile Ngubane as suspects sought in connection with the murder of 30-year-old Mongale, whose body was discovered next to Cambridge Road outside of a car workshop in Lombardy West in Johannesburg on Sunday. While police continue the search for the two remaining suspects, they have taken in the parents of one of the wanted men for questioning. The mother was taken after she allegedly tipped off her son about the police's interest in his whereabouts, which enabled him to evade arrest on Wednesday. It is also believed that the suspect's father is the owner of the vehicle thought to have been used during Mongale's murder.
