Pretoria - A Limpopo policewoman was shot dead, allegedly by her husband, at Ga-Kuranta village in Modjadji outside Polokwane at the weekend.
Her husband allegedly later shot two more victims on the same night, according to provincial police.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said it was alleged that the 32-year-old policewoman was outside her residence with a male friend when the husband struck.
“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 before midnight.
“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. 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 (the suspect’s) wife.”
Mojapelo added that the female companion was also shot and taken to hospital for medical treatment.
The 34-year-old suspect drove to Giyani police station, using the victim’s vehicle, and handed himself over to the police along with his licensed firearm and the allegedly hijacked vehicle.
“He was immediately arrested and placed in police custody,” Mojapelo said.
The suspect will appear in the Bolobedu Magistrate’s Court tomorrow to face charges of three counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and car hijacking.
Limpopo’s provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, has warned legal firearm owners of drastic measures following the incident.
This is the second policewoman to have been gunned down in the country in the past week.
Last week five people were arrested and charged with the murder of a Mpumalanga police station commander.
Colonel Beauty Marivate was killed during a shoot-out with suspected robbers. She was responding to a burglary-in-progress call at a business premises in Elukwatini near Nelspruit.
Between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, 34 police officers were killed in the country.
In August last year Sergeant Sharon Mogale and colleague Sergeant Maapula Petje from Tembisa police station were ambushed and robbed of their service pistol in a shop in the area.
Mogale was shot in the head, while Petje escaped without any injuries.
Pretoria News