Cape Town - Delft police have had a busy 48 hours after they were called to crime scenes where a man shot his wife and then turned the gun on himself, ending his life, while another man stabbed his estranged partner to death.
The incidents took place just days after the launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign.
Police were called to the first crime scene in Kaap Street in Leiden just after 9.45am, where they found the body of a 39-year-old woman with several stab wounds to her body.
The suspect, a 51-year-old man, was found next to the body, holding the alleged murder weapon.
Police immediately arrested the man at the scene.
Delft Community Policing Forum chairperson Pastor Charles George confirmed the incident.
He said the suspect was alleged to have visited the woman’s residence and wanted to talk to her following their break-up and then began to stab her repeatedly.
The second incident took place in Thubelitsha in Delft, where a 39-year-old woman was shot several times by her husband on Tuesday just after 9.45pm.
The husband then turned the gun on himself.
Police have yet to confirm whether the couple had children and if they were present at the time of the shooting.
Police spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk said the woman had been rushed to a medical facility for treatment.
“Upon their arrival they found a 39-year-old female who sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her body. She was transported to a nearby medical facility for treatment. Upon further investigation they found the body of a 40-year-old male with a single gunshot wound to his head. It is alleged that the male, who is the husband of the victim, shot his wife and thereafter turned the firearm on himself.
“The motive for the shooting is yet to be determined and SAPS Delft has registered cases of attempted murder and an inquest for investigation.”
George said the CPF had seen an increase in GBV incidents and that more programmes were needed to create awareness, including of unemployment, which was rife and a contributing factor to depression in households.
“The CPF sees the statistics in Delft that it is a red zone, more and more programmes need to be done,” he said.
“We can see the effect that Covid-19 has had on our society. There is a spirit of hopelessness in Delft. Many people have lost their livelihood due to the pandemic.
“I can see a deep depression and sometimes this depression points people where they do acts of GBV, but it is much deeper than that.
“We need to have deeper dialogue and programmes to assist people who have been hit hard by the pandemic.”
Last week during the launch of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, Premier Alan Winde called for equality and respect for women.
He said: “We must empower women in every way so that they are treated with equal and due respect. We must ensure each woman has the opportunity to learn, grow, become financially stable and independent, and is inspired to do so. Among the ways that we are doing this is through the GBV Implementation Plan.
“This was something I committed to during my state of province address and going forward we will be taking the strategy forward by engaging with relevant stakeholders and communities on its implementation.”
Weekend Argus