The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety urgently warns the public to exercise extreme caution when ‘hooking up’ with strangers through online dating and social media platforms.
This follows alarming reports of kidnappings, robberies, and targeted attacks in the Maboneng precinct, revealed during the Committee’s unannounced oversight visit to Jeppe Police Station on Thursday, 29 May 2025.
During the visit, Station Management briefed the Committee on a disturbing trend where victims from across Gauteng are lured to Maboneng through hookup apps, only to be kidnapped, robbed, or assaulted.
The Committee expressed concern that these crimes follow a similar pattern to the Olerato Mongale murder case, where victims are deceived by strangers they meet in malls or online before being attacked.
Of particular concern is the recent arrest of a gang operating in the Maboneng area that specifically targeted members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Committee condemns these crimes in the strongest terms and calls for heightened vigilance from all citizens.
The Committee welcomes the recent progress in the Olerato Mongale’s brutal murder case where one of the suspects has been killed in a shootout with Police in KZN this morning.
While the Committee commends the police for these breakthroughs, we urge the public to assist in locating the other two suspects. Justice must be served for Olerato and all victims of these heinous crimes.
The Committee also calls on citizens to be vigilant as meeting strangers from online platforms carries serious risks.
For their safety, the Committee advises the public to avoid meeting strangers from apps in isolated or unfamiliar areas, inform trusted contacts about meetup plans, verify identities through video calls before meeting, and immediately report suspicious activity to SAPS.
Furthermore, the Committee urges anyone with information on the whereabouts of the suspects linked to the Olerato Mongale case or any other related crimes to immediately report this to the Police. Community involvement is essential in ensuring these suspects are brought to justice and that further loss of life is prevented.
ISSUED BY GPL’S MEDIA SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY SAFETY, HONOURABLE BANDILE MASUKU
