The police in Mopani are concerned about the ongoing tragic incidents involving men who kill their lovers. The most recent heartbreaking incident took place at the Kremetart Township in Giyani last Sunday morning at about 01:30.

Capt Maano Sadiki, the spokesperson for the police in the area, said that the deceased, Mr Noel Mashele (30), and his wife, Merriam Mathebula (34), were in bed when Mashele allegedly produced a firearm and shot his wife in the head.

Circumstances that led to the incident were still being investigated at the time of going to the press. The police believe that, after shooting the wife, Mashele turned the weapon on himself. Their bodies were discovered by Mathebula’s younger sister, who came to visit the family on Sunday morning at about 07:00.

In a separate incident, Mr Lucky Mhlanga (27) of Bolobedu settlement in the Ritavi area had allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend inside a motel room in Kgapane on Monday last week.

According to the police statement, Mhlanga and his girlfriend arrived at the motel at about 12:30 and checked in. Their agreement with the staff for the motel was that they would leave the premises in an hour’s time, but that did not happen.

Instead, the motel administrative staff had to send a security guard to the room in which Mhlanga and his lover were booked to remind them about the elapsed time. On arrival at the room, the guard saw blood coming out underneath the door.

He informed other staff members, who quickly made efforts to force the door open. That was when they found Mhlanga and his lover’s bodies lying in a pool of blood, with bullets wounds to their heads. “What worries us most is the fact that this is happening within the 16 days period of activism against women and child abuse,” said Capt Sadiki.