Police spokesperson, Thabo Covane says the deceased is 20-year old Lerothodi Joseph Mokati, a student at a local tertiary institution. 

Mokati jumped off of the rooftop of the shopping mall on Saturday evening, August 18. 

He plunged into the water in front of the building and is alleged to have drowned. Covane says they are unable to comment on the cause of death until the autopsy carried out on the man’s body is completed. 

He tells OFM News, local police were called to the scene on Saturday after a security guard at the mall found Mokati at the edge of the rooftop.

He says the security guard attempted to persuade the man, not to jump and even called in his supervisor to assist. The security personnel decided to call in local police after seeing, the 20-year old was intent on jumping.

Authorities discovered the identity of the deceased while going through a back pack he had with him at the time. Police went to his home in phase 10 on Saturday night to notify his next of kin of the incident, but were unable to, as his mother was not at home. 

He says Mokati’s mother came into the Park Road station on Sunday. The tertiary institution, the student was studying at, is yet to comment on the alleged suicide. 

Covane told OFM News, officials from the institution were at the police station on Sunday as well.

Meanwhile Loch Logan Waterfront spokesperson, Meryl Henning, has extended mall management’s condolences to family and friends of this young man. 

She further thanked members of the local police, the diving unit, the fire brigade and other emergency services that assisted.

OFM News