A domestic argument between two police constables escalated into a fatal shooting in the early hours of Thursday morning, leaving the male officer and his girlfriend’s 69-year-old mother dead in KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the tragedy began with a dispute at the police barracks in Kwaggafontein, where the two officers, who were in a relationship, were both deployed. The altercation continued later at the female constable’s family home after the male officer allegedly forced his way into the residence.
It is reported that the man gained entry through a window in the early hours of the morning. The female officer’s mother, investigating the movement inside the house, was allegedly fatally shot by the male constable. In response, the female officer retaliated, shooting and killing her colleague. Both the male constable and the elderly woman were declared dead on the scene.
The female police constable sustained injuries during the incident and was hospitalized for treatment.
A family member, who was not present during the shooting, recounted the moment they learned the devastating news. “They called me this morning… when I got here, I found many women in the house. And mom D explained to me what happened, saying my sister was shot and her child was shot too, but she is in hospital, and my sister she died,” they said.
A neighbor described hearing the commotion, stating, “I’ve heard some gunshots while I was asleep.” After hearing cries from inside the home, the neighbor jumped the wall fence to assist. “I knocked at the door and then she told me that someone had killed her mother… I entered the house and I found the mother lying next to the door and the guy was lying next to the table in the dining room.”
The community has been left reeling from the violence. Another neighbor expressed profound grief, saying, “I am hurting so much I can’t even express myself. I’m even weak. It’s a very sad loss to us.”
The Mpumalanga police have opened two counts of murder and are investigating the circumstances of the incident. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has also been notified and will conduct a parallel investigation.
The acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Dr. Zeph Mkhwanazi, strongly condemned the violence. Dr. Mkhwanazi urged police members facing interpersonal challenges to seek help. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Donald Mdluli said: “Members of the police who experience some challenges in their relationship must make use of Employee Health and Wellness and other services that are there to ensure that they don’t result to violence. However, they must resolve issues amicably.”
Investigations into the double murder continue.
