Olorato Mongale's family reflects before her funeral

AS THE family of slain Wits postgraduate student Olorato Mongale lays her to rest today, they do so knowing that the police have been working around the clock to arrest her killers.

- KAREN SINGH

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.

Speaking ahead of her funeral in Bloemfontein, her aunt Kealogetswe Mongale says the family was happy with the progress made by police during the course of the week, with one suspect still at large.

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.”

Police were still hunting for Bongani Mthimkhulu, the remaining suspect wanted in connection with Mongale's murder.

Mongale's aunt said the family was happy that the perpetrators were found, especially the main suspect.