PROVINCIAL COMMISSIONER CONDEMNS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT WHERE TWO WOMEN WERE SHOT, ONE DIED AND ANOTHER IN CRITICAL CONDITION
Nelspruit – The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma has strongly condemned an incident of domestic violence in which two women were shot, leaving one dead and another in a critical condition at Witbank as well as Ogies yesterday, Friday 03 April 2020.
According to reports, the incident started when an argument broke out between two men aged 35 and 41, in a Mine Site at Phola in Oggies near Witbank. Their heated argument continued whereby the 41-year old drew a firearm and tried to shoot at the other man but failed. The man then moved to where the woman was working and fired several shots, injuring her. The victim was rushed to the hospital for medical assistance. He then drove to Hlalanikahle at Vosman where he fatally shot the victim’s mother and Paramedics certified her dead at the scene.
Members of the community notified police about the incident and a manhunt was launched. The man’s vehicle was spotted by police and a high-speed chase ensued. When the suspect realised that he was cornered, he allegedly turned the gun on himself and his car crashed whereby he was certified dead at the scene.
Preliminary investigation has since revealed that the firearm used during the incidents was illegal as its serial number was filed off.
On 30 March 2020, police in Mpumalanga issued a media statement of incidents where two women were murdered at Kwaggafontein as well as at Kwamhlanga. The investigation of the murder at Kwamhlanga revealed that the incident was a domestic-related issue where the woman had applied for a Protection Order which was served to the suspect. Both were supposed to have attended court on the day of the incident.
The 35-year-old Themba Ntuli, who is a suspect in the Kwamhlanga murder, has since been arrested by police on Tuesday, 31 March 2020 and already made his appearance at Kwamhlanga Magistrate’s Court on Thursday 02 April 2020, as well as Friday 03 April 2020. His case was postponed to Tuesday, 07 April 2020, for formal bail application.
General Zuma has, on several occasions, pleaded with members of the public to refrain from using violence to resolve domestic issues. General Zuma has also indicated that people should use the Lock-down period to fix their differences amicably and start a new life rather than using it to perpetrate domestic violence against women as well as children. They should avoid violence but rather try to make use of available structures such as Social Workers, Traditional Leaders and many more to intervene as well as to resolve their matters amicably.
