By Johnathan Paoli
Deputy Police Minister Polly Boshielo has vowed that the search for the third suspect in Olorato Mongale’s murder, Bongani Mthimkhulu, would not stop until he was in police custody.
“We will also not rest until we find Bongani Mthimkhulu. If you know him, advise him to surrender to the nearest police station,” she declared.
Hundreds of mourners filled Bloemfontein City Hall on Sunday to bid an emotional farewell to the 30-year-old journalist, whose brutal murder has sparked national outrage and a renewed call for justice.
Government officials, political leaders, friends and grieving family members gathered in a solemn ceremony marked by both deep sorrow and a fiery demand for change.
During the service, Olorato’s mother, Basetsana Mongale, described her daughter as a tenacious and courageous woman.
“When I saw her in the mortuary, I could see that my daughter fought. She fought until her nails broke off. She was extra careful. She would not have let a stranger fetch her at the gate. She was a fighter,” she said.
Family spokesperson Criselda Kananda echoed the pain of loss, while also expressing frustration with a justice system that allowed suspects to roam free despite pending charges for kidnapping and robbery.
“That absolutely breaks all our hearts. The system is broken. Our parole and bail approaches need urgent reform. Even if men like these are caught, they often find their way back onto the streets,” Kananda said.
In a stirring moment during her address, Boshielo asked all the men in attendance to stand.
“Why are you killing us? Why are you raping us? Why are you no longer our protectors? What did we do to you as women? We no longer want to march to police stations alone. Don’t kill us. Stand up and say: Not in our name,” she said.
She called for collective responsibility in fighting gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), reiterating that it could not be fought by law enforcement alone.
“GBVF is a crime that often happens behind closed doors, between people who know each other. Police cannot always be there, we need communities, especially men, to rise up and say enough,” the deputy minister said.
Representatives from Wits University, where Mongale had studied journalism, described her as a beacon of excellence and determination.
“She was beautiful in every sense, always knew your name before you even introduced yourself. Olorato embodied the spirit of a true Witsie,” university representative Jerome Sethemba said.
Her cousin Motheo Mongale shared a personal tribute, expressing grief and longing.
“I miss your voice. I miss hearing you sing,” he said quietly.
Mongale was reported missing last Sunday after she left her Johannesburg home for a date with a man she had recently started seeing.
Her body was discovered hours later in Lombardy East, sparking a countrywide manhunt.
By Friday, the search led to Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal, where police confronted Philangenkosi Makhanya, the man later confirmed as her date and a key suspect.
A shootout ensued, and Makhanya was killed. Police found 27 ID smart cards and 20 cellphones in his possession, allegedly used to lure and defraud other women.
Investigations revealed that Makhanya and Mthimkhulu were part of a syndicate operating across multiple provinces, luring women they met in shopping malls into dates and then kidnapping and robbing them.
“We’ve now linked them to at least 22 cases. Victims from Bloemfontein, Midrand, Nelspruit, Pretoria, Potchefstroom, Lebowakgomo and other areas have come forward to identify them,” Boshielo said.
A third man, Fezile Ngubane, was initially named a suspect but was cleared over the weekend after police discovered he had been a victim of identity theft by Makhanya, who used his ID card to register SIM cards used in the crimes.
The National Prosecuting Authority has yet to explain why bail was not opposed for Makhanya and Mthimkhulu, both of whom had pending cases when they were released.
Boshielo assured the Mongale family that justice would not be denied.
“One of her perpetrators is in permanent custody, he will never rise again to terrorise women. And we will find the other one. We will bring him in,” she said.
As the nation mourns yet another victim of GBVF, calls have grown louder for systemic change and for men to reclaim their role as allies, not threats.
The deputy minister urged anyone with information about Bongani Mthimkhulu’s whereabouts to contact the SAPS or report to the nearest police station.
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