Rustenburg - A policewoman was shot dead, allegedly by her husband, in Ga-Kuranta village in Limpopo.
Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the constable attached to the Mokwakwaila Detective Unit was gunned down along with two other men on New Year's Day.
"It is alleged that the 32-year-old policewoman was outside her residence with a male friend standing next to the friend’s motor vehicle at about 23:40. The suspect, who is said to be her husband, approached and allegedly fired several shots at them. They both died instantly.
"Afterwards, the suspect fled the scene using the male victim's white Ford Ranger motor vehicle. Along the way, the suspect reportedly found another 36-year-old male victim with a female friend sitting inside a BMW vehicle and fatally shot him, apparently on suspicion that he was in love with his wife. The female companion was also shot but was taken to hospital for medical treatment," Mojapelo said.
He said the 34-year-old man then drove to Giyani police station in the victim’s motor vehicle and handed himself over to the police along with his licensed firearm and the hijacked motor vehicle.
He was expected to appear in the Bolobedu Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, facing charges of murder, attempted murder and car hijacking.
Mojapelo said Limpopo provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe has warned violent legal firearm owners that drastic measures would be taken following incidents of licensed firearms being used in serious crimes.
Releasing provincial crime statistics for the second quarter of the 2021/2022 financial year on December 14, Hadebe said the number of murder cases had increased by 23.1% over the period.
"I would like to indicate that the number of murder cases has increased by 23.1% in the period of reporting as compared to the same period the previous year. We recorded 43 more cases as compared to the same period last year, which brings the number of murder cases to a total of 229 in the last quarter.
"Arguments, misunderstanding and provocations remain the highest contributor to murder incidents, with 81 cases connected to these behaviours. Moreover, we have recorded about 36 mob-justice-related cases which contributed considerably to this spike of murder cases. We could have avoided these murders if we all understood the rule of law and that everyone should go through the justice system to prove his innocence or guilt," she said at the time.
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