Man (39) accused of murdering Likhona Fose (14) from Roodepoort makes court appearance

Late 14-year-old Likhona Fose. Picture: Supplied

JOHANNESBURG - A 39-year-old man, Mduduzi Mnisi, accused of murdering 14-year-old Likhona Fose and mutilating her body, appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 18 June, for his bail application.

Mnisi is alleged to have killed Fose in Durban Deep in May. Fose was reported missing by her family when a passerby found her half-naked and mutilated on an open veld.

According to media reports, the suspect was out on parole at the time of the murder. He had previously been convicted of robbery with aggravating circumstances and attempted murder and was granted parole in 2018 after serving nine years. His parole was due to expire in April 2027.

Fose’s family believes her murder was motivated by homophobia, as she identified as lesbian.

The bail hearing has been postponed until 24 June and will take place in a different courtroom.

The National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson confirmed that the State will oppose bail. ‘We have completed all the groundwork, including profiling the accused,’ said NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwana. ‘We consulted with the investigation officer, and his affidavit is ready to present at the bail stage.’

SUSPECT IN OLORATO MONGALE CASE STILL AT LARGE

Late 30-year-old Olorato Mongale. Picture: Supplied

Four weeks after the death of 30-year-old Wits postgraduate and Rhodes University graduate Olorato Mongale, police are still searching for the second prime suspect, Bonginkosi Mthimkhulu, who remains at large.

Mongale was murdered by a man she initially met at a mall in the Free State. Her body was found, days after their first encounter, dumped beside a road in Lombardy West, Johannesburg, on 25 May, the same day as their date. She had asked friends to check on her if she did not confirm her safety within an hour. CCTV footage from her Sandton apartment shows her entering a white VW vehicle with the man shortly before 3 pm.

When her friends received no response, they used the Find Me app to track her last ping to Lombardy West. At around 5 pm, residents saw a white VW pull over and discard what appeared to be a parcel before speeding off. Community members then discovered her lifeless body; police and relatives later confirmed it was Mongale.

Days after her murder, police named three suspects and later cleared one. One, Philangenkosi Makhanya( the alleged mastermind of her kidnapping and murder) was shot dead during an encounter with police on Friday, 30 May.

According to police, Makhanya and Mthimkhulu belonged to a syndicate targeting women at shopping malls, luring them under false pretences before robbing and killing them. They are linked to at least 25 related kidnappings or robberies across six provinces.

Mongale was laid to rest in her home province, the Free State, on 1 June.