The body of 30-year-old missing female student Olorato Mongale was found in a dumping area in Lombardy East, Johannesburg, in the early hours of Monday morning.
This was confirmed by family spokesperson Criselda Kananda.
Mongale was reported missing on Sunday afternoon after she had gone on a date with a person who picked her up at a place in Kew, Johannesburg.
According to CCTV footage circulating on social media, Mongale, dressed in a black sweater, black shirt, and white shoes, is seen leaving a certain place in Kew and walking towards a white VW Polo on Sunday afternoon.
Deceased student brutally violated
Speaking to Sunday World on Monday, Kananda said Mongale’s body was “brutally violated” when it was found in a dumping area in Lombardy East.
Kananda said Mongale was a student at Wits University, studying for a postgraduate diploma in business management.
“She went on a first date on Sunday the 25th [of May 2025] with someone she recently met. She told her friends she is going out on a date with this person.
Kananda said Mongale informed her friends that she will be sending them her location every 30 minutes.
“She told them that if one hour passes without her sending a location, then they should be concerned.
“The friends began to get worried after two hours passed without Olorato sending them a location. They then activated ‘Find My Location’, and it led them to a house in Bramley. The friends found her bag and cellphone outside the house,” said Kananda.
Kananda said when Mongale’s friends asked the people inside the Bramley house if they knew Mongale, they said they do not know her.
Community make gruesome discovery
She said Mongale’s body was later discovered around 2am on Monday by community members at a dumping area in Lombardy East.
“The community members in that area said they saw a white VW Polo dropping off something. So, they were curious as to what it was. The community members said it was not the first time they saw a white VW Polo dropping off something at the dumping area. That is when they made the gruesome discovery,” said Kananda.
“By the way she was badly injured, you can tell she was fighting. She put up a fight,” said Kananda.
She said the family will not disclose the cause of death at this stage nor what kind of injuries Mongale sustained.
Kananda said Mongale’s family opened a case at the Hillbrow Police Station after she went missing.
She said the family and friends do not know the person Mongale went out on a date with.
“The family is devastated. She [Mongale] was the only daughter to her mother. No words can explain what happened. This was a gruesome death. Her mother is beside herself,” said Kananda.
