Postgraduate Student's Murder: Phone Location Leads to Grim Discovery in South Africa

Olorato Mongale Murder: How Phone Location Led to the Discovery of a Tragic Crime On May 20, 2025, Olorato Mongale, a 30-year-old postgraduate student from Bloemfontein, went on a date with a man she knew only as "John." Days later, they planned a date in Johannesburg. Olorato, showing caution, shared her location with friends. On May 25th, hours before the date, Olorato updated her friend Tato about her location using the 'Find My iPhone' feature. CCTV footage showed Olorato walking towards a white VW Polo. Later, Tato noticed Olorato's location was in a dodgy area. After repeated calls and texts went unanswered, Tato and another friend tracked the phone's location to a property in Que Que. They were stopped by a person at the gate. A Metro Police car arrived, and the officers learned about the situation. They found Olorato's phone was moving further away. The friends, with the officers, eventually tracked the phone to a location where they found Olorato's handbag with her phone, wallet, and other belongings. On Sunday afternoon, May 27th, at approximately 4:50 PM, Olorato's body was found abandoned in Lombardy, outside Alexandra, north of Johannesburg. A multidisciplinary team, led by the SAPS anti-kidnapping task team, found the VW Polo, which had fake number plates, at a panel-beating workshop in Phoenix, Durban. Traces of blood were found inside. The car's owner was arrested. The main suspect, Philanginkosi Makhanya, was later shot dead by police on May 30th. Another suspect, Fezile Ngubane, was cleared of involvement. The investigation continues for Bongani Mthimkulu, who remains at large. May Olorato's soul rest in peace.

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Warrant of arrest issued after suspects in Olorato murder case fail to appear i…

A warrant of arrest has been issued against two men sought by police in connection with Olorato Mongale after they failed to appear in court to face …