Johannesburg – North West police are investigating two cases where husbands allegedly shot and killed their wives then turned the guns on themselves.
In the first incident, police were called to a house in Lerome village near Mogwase on Monday where a couple was found dead in bed, according to North West Police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone.
Police believe that the man may have killed his wife then stayed with the body for some time before killing himself as the woman's body was on the point of decomposing while his was still fresh.
The next day, a 29-year-old man from Punodung Section in Phokeng allegedly shot and killed his 24-year-old wife then turned the gun on himself. The couple were married in February.
It is alleged that the woman had complained to her mother-in-law about her husband's behaviour. The mother-in-law tried to intervene which angared her son and led to an argument with his wife.
During the argument the man allegedly took out the gun and fatally shot his wife. He then turned the gun on himself.
The couple died at the scene and the man's traumatised mother called the police.
"They were certified dead on the scene. The motive for the incident is unknown and investigations into both cases are under way," Mogwabone said.
North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, expressed shock over the incidents and urged members of the community to get professional assistance to resolve their personal disputes rather than resorting to violence.