Latest news with #Mongale
Eyewitness News
17 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Olorato Mongale murder: After being cleared as a suspect, Fezile Ngubane vows to turn life around
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.
eNCA
21 hours ago
- Politics
- eNCA
Dealing with the crisis of GBVF in SA
JOHANNESBURG - The murder of Olorato Mongale has again laid bare the devastating reality of GBV and Femicide. Her name is now added to the growing list of women who have fallen victim to this national crisis. Speaking at Mongale's funeral in Bloemfontein, Deputy Police Minister Dr Polly Boshielo reaffirmed government's commitment to intensifying the fight against GBVF.
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- TimesLIVE
'Olorato was known for her grace, intelligence and quiet boldness': family and friends bid her farewell
Deputy Minister of police Polly Boshielo has issued a stern call to South African parents to stop protecting their children when they commit crimes, especially in the face of the country's ongoing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) crisis. Speaking at the funeral of 30-year-old murder victim Olorato Mongale in Bloemfontein on Sunday, Boshielo stressed that the actions of family members who shield perpetrators often lead to further harm against women and girls, who are manipulated, targeted and ultimately victimised. This is after the mother of one of the suspects being sought for Mongale's murder tipped her son off about the police looking for him. 'I want to, at this point, appeal to parents and everybody who is in this room, if somebody has done something wrong, please, please, stop shielding them,' Boshielo said. Mongale, whose body was found last week after a nationwide search, is believed to have been the latest victim of an alleged romance scam syndicate that lured women under the pretence of love, only to rob and in some cases kidnap them. Boshielo said as soon as the case was brought to their attention last Sunday evening, the SAPS national anti-kidnapping task team ande Gauteng provincial investigating unit were immediately brought in to support the investigating officer from Sandringham police station to track down a suspect known as John. 'In no time, the team followed the tracks of the VW Polo and the two perpetrators,' she said. The investigation began at a lodge in Kew, Johannesburg, where the suspects had booked a room. The team then followed leads to KwaZulu-Natal, where they located the VW Polo at a panel beating workshop in Phoenix. 'The vehicle was found with traces of blood, which our forensic experts are still analysing,' said Boshielo. Philangenkosi Makhanya, identified as one of the main suspects, was killed in a shoot-out with police in Amanzimtoti on Friday. In his possession, officers found more than 27 identity cards and 20 mobile phones believed to belong to previous victims. His alleged accomplice, Bongani Mthimkhulu, remains at large. Police have linked the pair to at least 20 similar cases across the country, with women in several cities including Bloemfontein, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Nelspruit and Polokwane coming forward to positively identify the two suspects. 'Women from across the country have positively identified them as the pair that kidnapped and robbed them. Some cases have been reported where we are today in Bloemfontein. In Bloemfontein, we have one case reported in Park Road and one in Kagisanong with the same modus operandi. They met these guys at the waterfront mall and other malls in Bloemfontein, agreed to go out on a date with them and they were later robbed. Other cases have been reported in Nelspruit, Midrand, Pretoria, Potchefstroom, Lebowakgomo in Limpopo and Johannesburg,' Boshielo said. During the funeral service, Mongale's grandmother, Gogo Sisi, said she never got to hear a 'happy birthday' wish from her granddaughter on Friday.
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Olorato Mongale murder: Police progress and family reflections ahead of funeral
Olorato Mongale was murdered on Sunday May 25. Her body was dumped in Lombardy West, Johannesburg Image: Social Media As the family of murdered Wits postgraduate student Olorato Mongale prepares for her funeral on Sunday in Bloemfontein, her aunt Kealogetswe Mongale says the family is happy with the progress made by police during the course of the week, with one of three suspects still at large. Mongale, 30, went missing last Sunday after she was picked up at her residence in a VW Polo for what she believed was a date. Her body was found dumped along a road in Lombardy West in Johannesburg two hours later. The main suspect, Philangenkosi Makhanya, was shot dead by police at a flat in eManzimtoti south of Durban in the early hours on Friday. The second suspect, Fezile Ngubane, who was handed over to authorities by his father at the KwaMashu police station, has been cleared by police upon further investigation. 'An investigation has cleared Fezile Ngubane as a suspect in the Olorato murder case. Ngubane washes cars for a living and was targeted by the deceased Philangenkosi Makhanya, who used his ID to Rica (register) SIM cards with his details,' said national police spokesperson Athlende Mathe. Mathe said Makhanya used these SIM cards to communicate with women. 'He (Ngubane ) has been released.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Fezile Ngubane, Bongani Mthimkhulu and Philangenkosi Makhanya were the three suspects wanted by police in connection with the murder of Olorato Mongale. Ngubane has since been cleared by police. Image: SAPS Police are still hunting for Bongani Mthimkhulu, the third suspect wanted in connection with Mongale's murder. Mongale's aunt said the family is happy that the perpetrators were found, especially the main suspect. 'We would have hoped that he would have his day in court so that we could all be able to see who this person is and hopefully get some answers from him,' she said. However, she said the police 'did what they had to do' after the suspect attacked them. 'The turnaround time from the beginning of this investigation has been very good. We are very pleased with that. It's before the funeral on Sunday and we already know who the people are,' she said. On Friday, while discussing the developments in the case, Mathe confirmed that police are investigating a syndicate. She said police have 'broken the back' of the syndicate which targets young women and uses the same modus operandi of propositioning women, usually at malls, requesting to take them out on dates, then robbing them. Mathe said Makhanya and Mthimkhulu were out on bail on a charge of kidnapping and robbery in Brakpan in April, where they used the same VW Polo in the commissioning of a crime. The court later ordered that the vehicle be returned to its owner. Police said the white VW Polo was seized from a panel beater workshop in Phoenix, Durban, with traces of blood. According to reports, an elderly man believed to be the owner of the vehicle has been arrested while his wife was also arrested for tipping off their son, Makhanya, that the police were looking for him.
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
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.
