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| Olorato Mongale: Suspect in South Africa student's murder killed in police shootout | Olorato Mongale: Suspect in South Africa student's murder killed in police shootout |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Olorato Mongale's murder has sparked public outrage and calls for justice | Olorato Mongale's murder has sparked public outrage and calls for justice |
| A suspect wanted for the murder of a South African university student has been killed in a shootout with police. | |
| The man had been linked to the death of Olorato Mongale, whose body was found in Johannesburg on Sunday, about two hours after she was reported missing having gone on a date. | |
| In the early hours of Friday morning, police officers found the main suspect hiding at a residential complex in the coastal town of Amanzimtoti, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said. | In the early hours of Friday morning, police officers found the main suspect hiding at a residential complex in the coastal town of Amanzimtoti, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said. |
| The suspect, who has not been named by the police, shot at the officers, who returned fire and killed him, Brigadier Mathe added. | The suspect, who has not been named by the police, shot at the officers, who returned fire and killed him, Brigadier Mathe added. |
| Regional police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said that at the time of the suspect's death, he had 28 ID cards and a dozen mobile phones in his possession. | |
| Ms Mongale's death has sparked a fierce debate about the levels of violence faced by women in South Africa. | Ms Mongale's death has sparked a fierce debate about the levels of violence faced by women in South Africa. |
| The country has one of the highest rates of femicide and gender-based violence in the world. | |
| In an impassioned statement, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu called Ms Mongale's killing "inhumane" and "gruesome", adding: "To all men, this is a plea - simple, urgent, and human: Please, stop killing women." | |
| While continuing the search for two other men allegedly linked to the murder, the police took the parents of the deceased suspect into custody. | |
| The suspect's mother is accused of enabling him to "evade arrest" by tipping him off about the police's presence at her house. | The suspect's mother is accused of enabling him to "evade arrest" by tipping him off about the police's presence at her house. |
| The police also said the suspect's father is the owner of a VW Polo allegedly used in Ms Mongale's murder. | |
| The vehicle, which has been seized by the police, had traces of blood inside it, Brig Mathe said. | |
| The suspect's parents were questioned in custody but have now been released, said commissioner Mkhwanazi. | |
| The shootout took place in a residential area in the early hours of the morning | |
| Earlier this week, the police named the three suspects linked to the killing as Fezile Ngubane, Philangenkosi Sibongokuhle Makhanya and Bongani Mthimkhulu. | Earlier this week, the police named the three suspects linked to the killing as Fezile Ngubane, Philangenkosi Sibongokuhle Makhanya and Bongani Mthimkhulu. |
| Two of them - Mr Makhanya and Mr Mthimkhulu - were last month arrested for kidnapping and robbing a woman in KwaZulu-Natal, using the same VW Polo involved in Ms Mongale's murder, police said. Both men had been freed on bail. | |
| As part of their investigation into the killing, the police have identified a criminal gang or "syndicate" who have been targeting women in malls "for kidnapping and robbery", said police spokesperson Mathe. | |
| "They propose them, request to take them out on a date. When they agree, that is when they plan to rob them," she added. | |
| When Ms Mongale was last seen on Sunday, she was on a date with a man she had met a few days earlier at a shopping centre. | |
| CCTV footage showed her leaving a location in Kew, Johannesburg, and walking towards a white VW Polo with fake licence plates. | |
| The 30-year-old's friends said she was invited for a date by a man only identified as John, who she had met in Johannesburg, where she was studying for a postgraduate degree at Witwatersrand University. | |
| She texted one of her friends shortly before leaving home, saying that she was excited and getting ready for her date. | |
| But police later found her body in an open field, sparking public outrage and calls for justice. | |
| Family spokesperson Criselda Kananda said Ms Mongale's body was "brutally violated". | |
| A candlelight vigil was held on Wednesday evening in Lombardy West, at the site where her body was found. | |
| Family and friends have described her as an outspoken, bubbly woman who "lived with purpose and love", local media reported. | |
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| Sexual violence in South Africa: 'I was raped, now I fear for my daughters' | Sexual violence in South Africa: 'I was raped, now I fear for my daughters' |
| Tears and heartbreak over tragic story of South African girl sold by her mother | Tears and heartbreak over tragic story of South African girl sold by her mother |
| Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. | Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. |
| Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica | Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica |