Durban - The Pietermaritzburg Public Order Police Unit warrant officer charged with shooting his wife in the head with an R-5 rifle will plead not guilty to her murder.
This was revealed by his attorney, Phumlani Fakude at the city’s magistrate’s court on Monday.
Nkosinathi Armstrong Shangase, 43, is charged with shooting dead his wife, Thabisile Doyisa (Shangase) a local nurse, on Friday.
It is alleged that Doyisa, 46, an advanced midwife at Edendale Hospital, had just arrived at her home in Devonshire Road in Napierville from her shift at around 7pm on Friday when her husband shot her at point-blank range.
ER24 paramedics said Doyisa was still in her uniform and had already died from her extensive injuries before they arrived.
Shangase fled before police could arrive, but was arrested a few hours later.
The policeman appeared in the dock with his hands folded and showed little emotion.
Prosecutor Patti David said the State was opposed to Shangase being granted bail. She revealed that witnesses to the murder included the couple’s children as well as the domestic worker.
“The State needs to verify the safety of these witnesses,” David said.
She also disclosed that the rifle with which Doyisa was killed had not been recovered, and that gunshot residue was found on Shangase’s hands when he was arrested.
Fakude said his client “maintains his innocence” and that while Shangase would have liked to attend his wife’s funeral, he understood that he needed to apply for bail.
The case was adjourned to May 4 for a formal bail application.
The Pietermaritzburg community is reeling at Doyisa’s murder, which is the second killing of a nurse in the city in the space of a few weeks.
Earlier this month, 26-year-old Sindisiwe Shelembe, a neonatal nurse from Grey’s Hospital, was shot dead while on her way to work.
Shelembe was driving down the N3 near Townhill to Grey’s Hospital when an unknown shooter opened fire on her car, striking her once in the head and in the face.
No arrest has been made yet with regards to Shelembe’s killing.
Paying tribute to Doyisa at the weekend, MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said her death was a big setback to the department’s efforts to provide quality health care to all.
“From what we hear, nurse Doyisa was a dedicated staff member who will be extremely hard to replace. We wish to pass our deepest condolences to her family, colleagues and friends,” Dhlomo said.
Daily News