Olorato Mongale: Amanzimtoti residents speak of terror
Residents of a residential complex in Amanzimtoti are processing the dramatic fatal shootout that took place on their premises in the early hours of Friday morning.
Police had cornered Philangenkosi Makhanya, the main suspect in the Olorato Mongale murder case.
Residents of the once-quiet Mason Arbour Town were woken up to the sound of gunshots ringing out early in the morning.
Their confusion quickly turned to terror and concern when they heard a suspect wanted for the murder of the 30-year-old Johannesburg student was in their complex.
Body Corporate chairperson Denise Rajman says she had just been reading about the case on Thursday.
READ: Main suspect in Olorato Mongale murder ‘confessed’
"We always think, what if they are close to us? The thought actually ran through my mind. Anything is possible, and it just so happened that this had to be the case."
Makhanya had apparently been on the move since evading arrest on Wednesday night.
Overnight, he was traced to a third-floor apartment in the Toti complex where he had earlier approached a tenant, hoping to rent their car.
But by that time, Makhanya's photo and that of two other suspects had been all over the news and social media after they were released by police.
Police say he opened fire on officers who showed up at the complex and they retaliated, killing him.
Efforts have now turned to finding the two remaining suspects, one who is believed to have fled across the border into Zimbabwe.
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