A 30-year-old woman was shot and killed by her husband in the early hours
of Monday morning in Birch Acres, Kempton Park, because he reportedly believed
she was an intruder.
Hlengiwe Masango, a mother of two, is survived by a 3-year-old girl and an
8-month-old boy.
The 33-year-old man was arrested and appeared in court on Wednesday.
Relatives of the woman have said they believe this was a case of
gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) because “When I arrived at the
scene, we found that she had been shot twice on the chest, and he claims he
thought there was an intruder in the house. My cousin was fully dressed; it
seems they were having an argument. He lied with this story to cover up,”
a relative Sine Mhlongo alleged to News24 on Wednesday.
Mhlongo added that while she never saw any abuse, she noticed strange
behaviour from her cousin at times, such as her being unavailable or when he
would call, she would drop everything and return home.
At the time of her death, the 30-year-old woman was a stay-at-home wife and
mother.
The police’s Captain Mavela Masondo has confirmed the man was arrested
following the shooting.
Masondo said the suspect claimed he reached for his licenced firearm when
he thought an intruder had broken into their home. The man then fired two shots
before finding out he had shot his wife.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking to the nation on Wednesday evening,
addressed the recent spate of gender-based violence incidents. He stated that
the country has seen no fewer than 21 women and children being murdered in the
past few weeks.
Masango’s murder has elicited an outpouring of sadness on social media,
with people expressing their anger and grief under the hashtag
#JusticeForHlengiwe.
The shooting is reminiscent of the incident in which Oscar Pistorius shot
and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in Pretoria on Valentine’s Day in
2013.
Husband shoots, kills wife after ‘mistaking’ her for intruder
