Poppy Mongale shared her cherished memories of her daughter Olorato, who was brutally murdered last Sunday in Lombardy West, Johannesburg. The 30-year-old’s untimely death has ignited a renewed discussion about the ongoing crisis of gender-based violence in South Africa, with many lamenting the loss of yet another promising life to violent crime.
Speaking at her daughter’s funeral held in Bloemfontein, Poppy expressed her grief while highlighting Olorato’s indomitable spirit, recalling the poignant moment she first saw her daughter’s lifeless body at the mortuary. “She fought for her life. You could see it in her broken nails,” Poppy reflected, her voice heavy with sorrow.
The shocking nature of the crime has left Olorato’s family and friends in disbelief, as they remember a vibrant and ambitious woman who had a clear vision for her future. Just days before her tragic end, Olorato had shared exciting news with her mother. “She told me she would be going for choir auditions, and later, she shared that she made it into the choir and was starting confirmation classes,” Poppy recounted, her eyes glistening with tears as she tied together the fragments of a hopeful life now interrupted by tragedy.
In an agonising search for her daughter, Poppy revealed the harrowing lengths she went to during the desperate hours of Olorato’s disappearance—scouring the edges of roads for discarded black plastic bags, hoping to find her daughter clad in the last outfit she wore. The loneliness in her voice encapsulated the pain of a mother who holds onto the hope of finding her child, only to confront the grim reality of mourning a life lost to violence.
Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae also spoke at the funeral, weaving Olorato’s story into a larger narrative of women’s safety in South Africa. “Olorato’s death brings forth painful reminders of other women who have lost their lives to this scourge,” she said, referencing the names of other victims such as Sibongile Ngwana and Machaka Radebe. “Our country is bleeding from a wound inflicted on our women and girl children, and it is no exaggeration to say our women are under attack and indeed afraid,” she continued, highlighting the fear that permeates the lives of women in the nation.
Letsoha-Mathae’s impassioned plea addressed the urgent need for societal change and greater protection for women and children, condemning the heinous disregard for life that sees women’s voices silenced. “Who would not be afraid, when criminals can casually kill women and dispose of their bodies like animals?” she asked.