3 days ago
Police probe more cases against syndicate that targeted Wits student Olorato Mongale
Olorato Mongale's mother Basetsana speaks during her funeral on Sunday.
Image: Free State Provincial Government/Facebook
Police have reported an increase in the number of cases that they are linked to the syndicate responsible for the death of the former Wits University student, Olorato Mongale - three more have been added to the 22 reported last week.
Last week, the number of cases being investigated by the police stood at 22 cases with SAPS spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe indicating that the number has increased to 25.
"We are now standing at 25 cases linked to the syndicate," Mathe said without going into details about the latest developments in the matter.
Police said they are closing in on Bongani Mthimkulu, the remaining suspect of an alleged kidnapping syndicate that targeted young women at shopping malls in several provinces.
The main suspect, Philangenkosi Makhanya, was killed during a shootout with police at Amanzimtoti in KwaZulu-Natal last week.
'That is the only syndicate that we had identified that was going around the country targeting woman in various malls in various provinces. We are counting Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu- Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga as well as North West,' said Mathe.
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Meanwhile, as the manhunt for Mthimkhulu continues, the spokesperson for the Mongale family, Dr Criselda Kananda and the entire Mongale family confirmed in a statement that the family has withdrawn its support for Fezile Ngubane - one of the recently cleared suspects.
Police arrested Ngubane but later said he was targeted by the syndicate and was an innocent victim of identity fraud.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Kananda announced her withdrawal from supporting Ngubane's addiction rehabilitation journey after having supported the campaign aimed at helping him overcome his drug addiction.
'I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation for the outpouring of support regarding the call to help Fezile Ngubane with his rehabilitation. Our initial intention was to assist in placing Fezile at a free rehabilitation centre, as we believe that simply throwing money at someone struggling with addiction is not a sustainable solution.
"However, with the introduction of monetary donations into this situation, I have decided to withdraw my engagement in Fezile's case. I believe it is best to those who have taken a different approach to carry on from here," she said.
