By Malebo Pheme
The main suspect wanted for the murder of 30-year-old Rhodes University graduate Olorato Mongale, 30, was killed in a shootout with Police in the early hours of Friday morning.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said Philangenkosi Makhanya was hiding in a residential complex in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal. The suspect shot at Police officers when they announced their arrival at the scene. The officers fired back, fatally wounding the suspect.
Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi revealed that the suspect reportedly sought to rent a car from a resident in Amanzimtoti on Thursday morning. When the resident declined due to the suspect’s high profile following police alerts, the suspect stayed at the residence for the day. The resident later stated that the suspect allegedly confessed to the murder and exhibited signs of being suicidal.
The commissioner disclosed to the SABC that the suspect was found with 28 identity documents and approximately 20 mobile phones, all of which are currently under investigation.
Police believe Makhanya to be the man Mongale met for a date at 3 pm in Johannesburg on Sunday, 25 May. Mongale’s body was discovered in Lombardy West, Johannesburg, at 4.50 pm the same day.
Police are continuing the search for the two remaining suspects – Fezile Ngubane and Bongani Mthimkhulu – who are on the run.
The parents of one of the suspects have been taken in for questioning. News24 reported that the suspect’s father is the owner of the vehicle thought to have been used during Mongale’s murder. The mother was taken in after she allegedly tipped off her son about the Police’s search for him, which helped him evade arrest on Wednesday.
Two of the suspects – Makhanya and Mthimkhulu – were arrested in April for kidnapping and robbing another woman in Brakpan. They were granted bail just four days later.
Syndicate targeting young women
Mathe also confirmed that the Police were investigating a syndicate believed to be targeting women, particularly young women, using a specific modus operandi. “We officially confirm that we are investigating a syndicate and believe that we have broken the back of it. They propose to these young women in malls and request to take them on dates. When they agree, that is when they plan to rob them.”
Mathe said Makhanya picked Mongale up “for a date” from her residence in Athol, Johannesburg, on Sunday in a VW Polo fitted with a cloned number plate that belongs to a Toyota Hilux.
He drove with the victim in Alexandra township, proceeded to Kew, and between Alexandra and Lombardy West in Johannesburg, he allegedly murdered Olorato and dumped her body. Some of Mongale’s belongings, including a phone and a handbag, were found abandoned on 9th Road in Kew.
Her body was found in Lombardy West by the SAPS with the assistance of community members.
Foreshadowing
Mongale completed her Bachelor of Journalism degree at Rhodes University in 2016. A year later, she was working for TimesLive as a video journalist. One of the stories Olorato Mongale covered in 2017 was the high-profile case of Karabo Mokoena, a young Soweto woman murdered by her boyfriend. In a tragic twist, Mongale herself was murdered on Sunday, 25 May 2025, just a few kilometres from where Mokoena was found.
Mongale had worked briefly as a multimedia journalist at TimesLIVE. According to family spokesperson Criselda Kananda, she left as she was disillusioned by “the horrible stories” she covered. This year, Mongale was studying for a Master’s degree in ICT Policy and Regulation at Wits University.
Kananda said: “For her it was like, ‘No I don’t want to live a life where I would keep chasing horrible stories’, she wanted to influence the reporting of the horrible stories, and help shape the policies behind the headlines, and we were robbed of that.”
You can watch here the video made by Olorato Mongale about the murder of a young woman in Johannesburg in 2017.
A memorial service for Olorato Mongale was held on Thursday, 29 May in Bloemfontein. Her funeral is set for Sunday.
Rhodes Vice-Chancellor’s message
Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor Sizwe Mabizela said the university extended its “heartfelt condolences to Olorato’s family, friends, and all who were touched by her life”.
“We recently received, with deep shock and profound sadness, the tragic news of the brutal murder of our former student, Olorato Mongale. This devastating loss underscores the urgent need for our collective action to eliminate the pernicious scourge of gender-based violence in our society. We call on every person in our nation to take a stand and be part of the change,” Mabizela said.
Between January and March this year in South Africa, 137 women were murdered and more than 1,000 raped, according to the latest crime statistics.
In 2020, an average of one woman died at the hands of her intimate partner every eight hours, according to a study by the University of the Free State.
In 2019, South Africa ranked among the five countries with the highest rates of murder of women, according to the United Nations.
The country also has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world, with rape being the most reported crime against children.
