Suspect found hiding in Durban allegedly confessed to the murder of Olorato Mongale
Olorato Mongale was brutally murdered and discarded.
Image: Social media
The prime suspect wanted in connection with Olorato Mongale's death, allegedly confessed to her murder moments before he was killed in a gun battle with KZN cops on Friday morning.
The suspect, Philangenkosi Makhanya, was cornered at a block of flats in Amanzimtoti, on the south of Durban, in the early hours of Friday morning.
Police had been on the hunt for him following the brutal murder of Mongale, whose body was found dumped in Lombardy West, Johannesburg.
Speaking shortly after the take-down operation, KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, told the media that the suspect had allegedly confessed to the crime.
Details of the Incident
Speaking about the incident, Mkhwanazi said: “We arrived in the Amanzimtoti area; it is a very beautiful apartment."
He said the suspect had come to the apartment to hire a vehicle from the person who lives there.
"The person who lives here rents out vehicles. He has rented out vehicles to him before.”
The commissioner revealed that Makhanya had been at the apartment complex since Thursday morning.
“The guy who rents out the vehicles allegedly said he was not going to give him the vehicle but stayed with him the whole day trying to convince him to hand himself over,” Mkhwanazi explained.
Confession and Investigation
Witnesses reported that Makhanya confessed to the murder during a conversation with the vehicle rental owner, expressing a desire to commit suicide. He also mentioned a second suspect who allegedly fled to Zimbabwe, prompting ongoing efforts by police to locate him.
Following the confession, police managed to enter the apartment, leading to a violent altercation that resulted in Makhanya being declared dead at the scene.
The Victim's Story
Olorato Mongale, aged 30, was last seen on a date with her alleged killer, who picked her up in a white VW Polo on Sunday, 25 May 2025. According to police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, “He drove with the victim in the township of Alexandra, proceeded to Kew, and between Alexandra and Lombardy West in Johannesburg, this man allegedly murdered Olorato and dumped her body.”
During the investigation, authorities discovered that the VW Polo was equipped with counterfeit registration plates. In a related development, police arrested Makhanya's parents on Thursday night; his father is the owner of the vehicle, while his mother was apprehended for allegedly alerting her son about the police's search efforts.
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