A 43-year-old police woman, who is accused of killing her husband, has been denied bail at the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Sergeant Kate Lindiwe Hlongwane from the Dube Police Station in Winterveld, allegedly shot her husband, Russel Hlongwane several times with her service pistol at their home in Soshanguve on January 28 2024.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) said the husband allegedly took Hlungwane’s service firearm, and pointed it at her during a midnight “commotion” between the couple.
“It is alleged that there was a commotion between Sergeant Hlongwane and her husband, Russell Hlongwane, 40, at around 0.30am on Sunday, January 28. Mr Hlongwane took Sergeant Hlungwane's official firearm from her handbag and pointed it at her,” said Ipid national spokesperson, Phaladi Shuping.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson in Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana said a neighbour heard the gunshots and he came to the yard and found the deceased shot on the ground.
“He then took the deceased to Akasia Hospital, where he died a few hours later. Hlongwane was arrested by SAPS the same day,” she said.
The matter was then handed to Ipid.
Mahanjana said in court, Hlongwane denied intentionally killing her husband. Instead, she said the gun went off while they were wrestling for it.
Hlongwane asked the court to release her on bail because she was the primary caregiver for her three minor children.
However, the prosecutor advocate Tumelo Letaoana opposed her release on bail, arguing Hlongwane had disqualified herself from the responsibility of taking care of her children, as they were now being taken care of by the family of the deceased.
The case was postponed to April 29 for further investigations.
IOL News