Mankweng man kills girlfriend hours after being released on bail
The man was later found dead with a gunshot wound and the firearm used was found next to his body.
POLOKWANE – The provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has appealed to couples experiencing domestic related challenges to seek professional help instead of resorting to violence.
Hadebe’s remarks follow a murder-suicide in Mankweng on Sunday night (June 19) hours after a 47-year-old man was released on bail.
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According to police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, the victim, Mmapula Maria Letsoalo (40) had opened a case of intimidation against a 47-year-old man believed to have been her boyfriend, after he allegedly threatened to shoot her.
“The pair apparently got into a heated argument and the man thereafter threatened to shoot the woman with his firearm. The suspect was arrested and charged on Sunday (June 19) but was released on bail hours later,” he said.
Mojapelo said the man then returned to the victim’s house in Ga-Kgole Village, shot her dead and then drove off. He was later found dead with a gunshot wound at his home in the the Ga-Makanye village.
“The firearm used in the commission of the crime was found next to his lifeless body. A case of murder and an inquest docket were opened. Police investigations continue,” he said.
Hadebe has also ordered a full internal probe to determine the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s immediate release on bail by the prosecutor.
