The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has expressed shock following a tragic incident in which a Police Detective Sergeant allegedly shot and killed a 48-year-old man in Botsalanong Village, Waterberg District.
The incident is reported to have begun when the man arrived at the police sergeant’s house looking for him. Finding the sergeant not at home, the man was met by the officer’s wife, who then phoned her husband.
A subsequent heated argument is said to have erupted between the sergeant and the man upon the officer’s arrival. The altercation allegedly culminated in the detective sergeant fatally shooting the man.
The victim was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries upon arrival. In a devastating turn of events, the man’s aunt reportedly learned of the shooting and went to the scene. Upon her arrival, she collapsed. Emergency Medical Services personnel were summoned but unfortunately declared her dead at the scene.
The exact cause of the initial altercation is now a key focus of the ongoing investigation.
Following the incident, the police detective immediately handed himself over to authorities. He was arrested on the spot. A case of murder has been opened for the death of the man, and an inquest docket has been opened for the death of his aunt. Both cases are being investigated at the local police station.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has been informed and will take over the investigation into the conduct of the police member, as is standard procedure in cases involving police action that results in death.
Police investigations are continuing.
