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.
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.
After hearing of the fatal shootout, Chriselda Kananda, a spokesperson for Ms Mongale’s family, told South African broadcaster SABC News: “It is quite a relief for the family that justice for Olorato, before we even lay her body to rest, would have been served.”
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 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.