Mutilated Body Of 14-Year-Old Girl Found In Roodepoort

The mutilated body of a 14-year-old girl, identified as Likhina Fose, was discovered under a shrub in Durban Deep, Roodepoort, sparking a full-scale murder investigation.

According to a police statement, a passerby made the horrific discovery on Wednesday and alerted authorities. Fose’s genitals were mutilated, and the suspects remain unknown.

Police have since launched a manhunt and are calling on the public to come forward with any information.

Tshegofatso Pule Foundation Reacts to After Body Discovery

The Tshegofatso Pule Foundation expressed shock and heartbreak, especially as the murder took place in the same area where Tshegofatso Pule, then 8 months pregnant, was found murdered in 2020.

Foundation spokesperson Botlhale Modisane said the news was retraumatizing; “We received a call regarding the discovery of a body of a 14-year-old, Likhina Fose, who was found brutally murdered with her genitals mutilated as well.”

“It is something that is so heartbreaking. We cannot even begin to wrap our heads around how to console the family or how to make sense of all of this.”

“Not only is it happening in the same area where [Pule’s] body was found hanging, but it is also happening three days before the commemoration of her death.”

Olorato Mongale’s Murder Still Fresh

Fose’s brutal killing follows just one week after the murder of 30-year-old Master’s student and journalist Olorato Mongale, who was killed after going on a date in Johannesburg.

Police have since identified Phila Makhanya, Fezile Ngubane, and Bongani Mthimkhulu as suspects in Mongale’s murder, believed to be linked to a wider syndicate targeting women.

Makhanya was killed in a police shootout on Friday, and police cleared Ngubane on Saturday. Mthimkhulu is currently on the run and was reportedly heading to the border.

Makhanya and Mthimkhulu were out on bail for kidnapping and robbery in Johannesburg, but were released on bail in April. Makhanya was also set to appear in court on Monday for a pending case in Brakpan and was a person of interest in a kidnapping case in KwaMashu.

Ngubane, who was initially identified as a suspect in a syndicate targeting young women, was arrested by police on Saturday.

One suspect cleared

Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said Ngubane’s father handed him in at the KwaMashu police station on Friday when he learnt that his son was sought by police in the Olorato murder case.

According to a preliminary report, Ngubane washes cars for a living and stays in the same neighbourhood as Makhanya.

“Makhanya allegedly identified Ngubane as a soft target and took his ID smart card and used it to obtain Rica SIM cards that Makhanya would use to commit his long list of kidnapping and robbery crimes targeted at young women.

“At times, it’s alleged that he would use Ngubane’s bank card to buy at various clothing stores. Ngubane’s ID was found as part of the 27 ID smart cards found in possession of the deceased,” Mathe said.

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