Manhunt Launched for Two Suspects in Olorato Mongale Murder
Police have launched a manhunt for two suspects, Fezile Ngubane and Pilangenkosi Sibongokuhle Makhaya, in connection with the murder of 30-year-old Olorato Mongale, reports SABC News. Her body was discovered in Lombardy, near Alexandra township, in northern Johannesburg, after she was reported missing. Mongale was last seen in the company of a man she had met a few days earlier at a mall. Investigations led police to a lodge in Kew, Johannesburg, and later to KwaMashu, Durban, where one suspect’s home was identified. A VW Polo suspected of being used in the crime was recovered at a panel beater workshop in Phoenix, Durban, with traces of blood found inside. An elderly man believed to be the vehicle’s owner has been arrested, but the two suspects remain at large. Police are urging the public to distribute their photos far and wide to assist police investigations.
Life Sentences Sought for Joshlin Smith Human Traffickers
Convicted human traffickers Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis, and Steveno Van Rhyn are set to be sentenced in the Western Cape High Court sitting in Saldanha Bay, reports SABC News. The trio was found guilty of kidnapping and child trafficking in connection with the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith, who vanished from her Middlepos home in February 2024 and remains missing. State prosecutor Advocate Zelda Swanepoel has called for a life imprisonment sentence.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis Survives No-Confidence Motion
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has survived a motion of no confidence brought against him by the National Coloured Congress (NCC) at a special council sitting, reports EWN. The NCC accused Hill-Lewis of lacking transparency, spreading false statements about its president, Fadiel Adams, and lying about meetings with the provincial police commissioner regarding alleged municipal corruption. The majority of councillors voted against the motion, while Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillors abstained. Council Speaker Felicity Purchase announced the motion’s failure and congratulated Hill-Lewis on surviving the challenge. In response, Hill-Lewis expressed gratitude to the EFF for their implicit support.
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