Residents of Madombidzha village in the Sinthumule area are still shocked about an incident where the 25-year-old Thilivhali Maluba allegedly chopped his girlfriend´s father, Mr Eric Bugana, to death on Sunday.

While community members were still asking themselves what had really happened to the man who was said to have killed his girlfriend´s father, they were again shocked and stunned when hearing that the suspect had committed suicide on Monday morning.

According to a police report, it all started when the man, known as Maluba, started suspecting that his girlfriend, Nancy Bugana, a student at the University of Venda, was cheating on him. Maluba went to the University of Venda to see her and couldn’t find her. He collected the girlfriend’s clothes from the hostel and disappeared with them.

The angry Maluba allegedly proceeded to the girlfriend’s home where he found her relaxing with her parents. He then started harassing her, injuring her severely on the neck and hands. Apparently she managed to escape, screaming for help. Her 72-year-old father, Eric Bugana, then went out to intervene, but Maluba started to turn on him and attacked the elderly man.

Seeing that her husband was hurt and dying, Eric Bugana’s wife, Sylvia (51), decided to attack Maluba. She couldn’t manage to overpower him and he chopped her on the hands, cutting off some of her fingers.

Although Bugana died on the scene, Nancy and her mother Sylvia survived and were rushed to the nearby Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital. The mother was discharged the same day, but Nancy was admitted. According to reports, she is still in a critical condition at the hospital.

According to the spokesperson for the Tshilwavhusiku SAPS, Capt Maiwashe, the first incident, where Bugana was killed, happened at around 20:15 on Sunday at Bugana´s place. “The suspect, Maluba, started quarrelling with his girlfriend. Nancy´s father was then killed on the scene when he was trying to intervene,” she said.

She added that the suspect then eventually disappeared from the scene. His body was found the following day, hanging from a tree.

“We are not sure as to whether he had commit-ted suicide the day of the incident or the next morning,” she said.

Maiwashe appealed to men and women to consult social workers, pastors and counsellors if they have problems in their relationships.

At the time of going to press, Nancy was still fighting for her life at the Louis Trichardt Memo-rial hospital.

The late Mr Eric Bugana is survived by his wife and six children.

According to the family members, Bugana will be laid to rest at the Madombidzha cemetery tomorrow (Saturday).