WHITE RIVER – The man who allegedly shot his ex-girlfriend in town last week, handed himself over yesterday, confirms White River Police spokesman, Sgt Cynthia Mbokodo.

He appeared in the White River Magistrate’s Court on charges of attempted murder this morning. The case was postponed to July 17 for a formal bail applications.

Ex-boyfriend shoots woman several times

10 July 2017

WHITE RIVER – A woman miraculously survived a gunshot to the head last Tuesday, but fears for her safety remain. The shooter is believed to be her ex-boyfriend.

The woman, whose identity is being protected, sustained gunshot wounds to her arm, neck and head. The one to her head lodged behind her ear.

ER24’s branch manager, Greg Wilcox, confirmed that they responded to a call at around 12:30 that day.

Paramedics treated the victim and she was rushed to a local hospital. She was in a stable condition at the time of going to press.

An eyewitness, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of being targeted by the still-at-large suspects, told the newspaper that he saw two men lurking in the vicinity of the victims’s workplace in White River’s main street from about 09:00 on the day of the incident.

“At first, we suspected that they were planning a robbery at our store, so both the manager and the security guard confronted them. They claimed that they were waiting for a friend who works across the street,” he told Lowvelder.

He added that at around 12:00, they saw one of the men walk up to the medical practice and enter it. They recalled hearing two or three shots. He then walked straight back out and towards their shop. They locked their door.

The gunman met up with his accomplice and made a run for it. “We would’ve tried to confront him, but feared that his accomplice might also have been armed,” the witness said. They pressed their panic button, which alerted J&M Security whose response team arrived moments later.

White River Police spokesman,Sgt Cynthia Mbokodo confirmed that the gun-wielding suspect was still at large. He was wearing a light-blue jacket. Mbokodo said the man is the woman’s former boyfriend and is well known in the area.

GRIP programme manager, Nicky Thusi said they deal with about 350 cases of domestic violence on a monthly basis just in the Ehlanzeni and Gert Sibande districts.

“The problem is huge, and the cases that get reported are just a drop in the ocean, as most are not reported.” Thusi said this was because of the stigma attached to victims of spousal abuse. “They feel ashamed as they think they failed in their marriages or relationships.”

She urged any person who is a victim of abuse to please contact their toll-free number on 083-310-1321.