Suspect in Olorato Mongale’s Murder Killed in Police Shootout

A suspect linked to the murder of South African university student Olorato Mongale was fatally shot during a gunfight with law enforcement officers. Mongale’s body was discovered in Johannesburg on Sunday, approximately two hours after she was reported missing following a date.

According to police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, officers located the suspect hiding at a residential complex in Amanzimtoti. The suspect initiated the confrontation by firing upon the officers, who responded with force, resulting in his death. The police have arrested the parents of the deceased suspect, accusing his mother of tipping him off about the police’s presence, enabling him to evade arrest. The suspect’s father is believed to own a VW Polo allegedly used in Mongale’s murder.

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu condemned the killing, describing it as “inhumane” and “gruesome”. He issued a heartfelt plea to men, stating, “To all men, this is a plea – simple, urgent, and human: Please, stop killing women.” Mongale’s death has sparked a heated debate about the levels of violence faced by women in South Africa.

The police investigation revealed that three suspects were linked to the killing: Fezile Ngubane, Philangenkosi Sibongokuhle Makhanya, and Bongani Mthimkhulu. Notably, Makhanya and Mthimkhulu were previously arrested for kidnapping and robbing a woman in KwaZulu-Natal using the same VW Polo involved in Mongale’s murder, but they had been released on bail. The search for the two remaining suspects continues.

Olorato Mongale, a 30-year-old master’s student at the University of the Witwatersrand, was brutally murdered on May 25, 2025, just two hours after she was reported missing. She had gone on a date with a man she met at a retail store in Bloemfontein, and they planned to meet in Johannesburg. The suspect arrived in a white VW Polo with cloned number plates, and Olorato’s body was later found in a refuse bag in Lombardy West, Johannesburg. Her death has sparked widespread outrage and calls for action against gender-based violence in South Africa.

The investigation into Olorato’s murder has made progress, according to the police. One suspect, Philangenkosi Makhanya, was shot dead by police in Amanzimtoti after he opened fire on officers. Makhanya’s mother was arrested for aiding her son’s escape. Two other suspects are still at large, and the police are working to gather evidence and bring them to justice. Olorato’s family and friends are still reeling from her tragic death, and her mother, Basetsana Mongale, is said to be devastated by the loss of her only child.