A 54-year-old man handed himself over to the police on Monday after he shot and killed his wife during a church service at Makonde Shadani village in Limpopo.
This comes after the launch of a frantic police search after the husband fled the scene after firing shots at his 45-year-old wife on Saturday.
Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said during the arrest, the murder suspect’s licenced firearm, believed to have been used to commit the crime, was confiscated.
The suspect is expected to appear at the Thohoyandou magistrate’s court on Wednesday.
The motive behind the shooting is unknown
“The suspect entered the premises [of the church] at about 18:00 while the congregation was engaged in worship, and callously fired multiple shots at the victim, resulting in her untimely death,” said Ledwaba.
“The suspect then fled the scene in a silver-grey Toyota Corolla following the abhorrent act.”
Ledwaba said that the motive behind the senseless fatal shooting remains unclear; however, domestic violence cannot be ruled out.
The Limpopo provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, has commended the police for the swift arrest, adding that investigations are under way.
Crime statistics are on the rise
Over 7 000 people were killed in South Africa between October and December 2023, according to the crime statistics for the second quarter of the year that Police Minister Bheki Cele released in February.
This was an increase of 2% compared to the same period in the previous year.
Cele said at the time that most murders took place in KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, and Gauteng.
“The provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and the Free State must be singled out and commended for being able to register a reduction in the number of people murdered during this period,” Cele said.
