A 32-year-old resident of the Tshamutumbu area allegedly brutally axed his 29-year-old wife and their three-year-old son, before he committed suicide by hanging himself from the roof beams, in a cold-blooded murder that left the entire local community shell-shocked, police have said.

The SAPS spokeswoman for Tshamutumbu area, Const Ramavhunga, said the incident occurred on Thursday, December 6, at around 21:00 at Musodi Tshisimani. The incident was only discovered the following day at around 06:00 by the couple’s children, who had visited their home. Ramavhunga said the deceased were identified as Lucas Khorombi, his wife Eunice Khorombi and their son, William.

Ramavhunga said the children had stayed with their grandmother and had on that day visited their parents.

"The man had just arrived from Gauteng where he was working and we suspect he had domestic problems, which resulted in his murdering his wife and their son, using an axe. The axe which had allegedly been used by the man was also discovered at the scene of the incident, while the wife and the boy were found lying dead on their beds with bleeding wounds," she said.

The children then alerted their uncle, who in turn reported the matted to the police.

A suicide note written on a four-page sheet was also found at the deceased couple’s bedroom, which indicated that the man had had a domestic dispute, which reportedly involved his aunt and other relatives.

The three bodies were subsequently taken to the local government mortuary for a post mortem.

Ramavhunga said police are now investigating the incident. "An inquest docket has been opened, so that we can establish the exact circumstances surrounding this incident, which has really left the community of Tshamutumbu is a state of great shock. We also would like to urge people to desist from violence in the event of misunderstandings. They should rather try to resolve their disputes in an amicable manner or opt for counseling to avoid unnecessary loss of lives," said the police spokeswoman.