He shot his girlfriend in the chest after an argument on Sunday evening. The girlfriend did not die…so, he called his brother so that they could take the critically injured woman to the hospital.

When they were approaching the gate of the Tshilidzini Hospital, he again produced his service pistol, shot himself in the head and died instantly. His girlfriend is now fighting for her life in the Tshilidzini Hospital…

This is the sad end of the well-respected Thulamela traffic officer, Ndikundiswani Charles Mulandana (39), whose death has sent shockwaves throughout the Limpopo Province.

Mulandana, who originally comes from Dzwerani Village, outside Thohoyandou, was staying at Makwarela Township near Sibasa. It was not clear at the time of going to press what the argument between the traffic officer and his girlfriend was all about. The regional police spokesperson, Adv Ailwei Mushavhanamadi, said police have opened an inquest docket and a case of attempted murder, following the incidents. He warned community members not to resort to violence in solving their problems. "It is better to look for professional help in order to avoid incidents of this nature.

The traffic division manager at the Thulamela Municipality, Mr Thivhali Mulaudzi, said the morale in the division is very low after they had lost one of their hardworking staff members. "It was very painful to lose him, because we expected him to make more contributions in the development of the traffic section. We would have loved to have spent more time with him, but there is nothing we can do, because the situation is beyond our control."

Mulaudzi added that the late traffic officer did not show any signs of problems at work. "We have never received any negative report about him from our road users. He always sticked to his job and he did not require any constant supervision. We have really lost someone we loved so much. Life will never be the same without him."