Domestic dispute ends in wife’s death
A man allegedly shot and killed his wife last week before he turned the gun on himself.
MBOMBELA – The 39-year-old woman, a quantity surveyor for the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport whose name is known to Lowvelder, was allegedly shot and killed by her husband, a security supervisor at Transnet whose name is also known to Lowvelder, during a domestic dispute at their home in Stonehenge. The woman sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
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According to reports, the husband came home from work and asked to speak to his wife. They stepped outside for a brief discussion, after which the husband went back into the house. When he came out again, he allegedly shot his wife and wounded himself in the arm and stomach. The police and medical personnel were called to the scene where the wife was declared dead. The husband was rushed to hospital where he is under police guard. He was supposed to appear in court this week, but the case was postponed to next week as he is still in hospital.
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A spokesperson for the family and uncle of the deceased said the families of the couple had had a meeting and decided to work together during this very difficult time, especially for the sake of the couple’s three children, aged 14, nine and four.
“The children are having a very hard time coping with what we all agree is a tragedy. We have enlisted the help of a psychologist to help them come to terms with what has happened to the family,” he said.
He said the funeral will take place later this week in Bushbuckridge.
Gillion Mashego, MEC for public works, roads and transport in Mpumalanga, has expressed shock over the incident.
“Not long ago, our government embarked on a drive to dismantle the chronic disease of gender-based violence in our society, where men were urged to lead the charge. It is indeed a tragedy that has reversed our attempts to capacitate our women and youth in the workplace. As a result, the province has lost a valuable asset in our struggle to fast-track service delivery. It is sad that as a province we have also lost one of our front-liners in our combat against Covid-19.
Most importantly, her family has lost a daughter, a sister, a mother and a provider,” he said.
Mashego has since conveyed his condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
Lt Gen Mondli Zuma, provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, has also strongly condemned the incident.
