A case of murder and inquest docket have been opened by the Limpopo police at Mokwakwaila, outside Tzaneen, following the death of two people who were in a romantic relationship in Tlhotlhokwe village.
Police rushed to the scene after receiving information about the two dead bodies which were discovered in the bushes on Saturday.
“Upon arrival, they discovered a body of female person lying on the ground having open wounds on the forehead and also bleeding on the ears and nose. They also discovery a dead body of a male person hanging on the tree,” according to Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba.
“It is alleged that when the son of the male deceased person realised that his father is not coming back home, he went to look for him in the nearby bushes. He discovered the lifeless bodies of his father and the fiancée, and then he reported it to the police.”
The deceased have been identified by police as Pulane Moremi, and the man is 70-year-old Gilbert Rabothata.
“Both the case of murder and an inquest docket are being investigated to determine circumstances surrounding the untimely deaths of the couple and domestic violence cannot be ruled out,” said Ledwaba.
Meanwhile, provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has condemned the incident.
She highlighted that community members encounter personal problems, they should seek assistance from professionals to avoid these kind of tragedies.
Last month, IOL reported that police in Limpopo have traced and arrested a 35-year-old man who had been on the run after he allegedly shot six people, killing two of them, at Makgophong village, in Magatle.
The brutal shooting took place on August 19.
“According to reports, the suspect and his wife had marital problems which remained unsolved when he allegedly then resorted to shooting her, their child, as well as her sister and cousin,” Ledwaba said at the time.
He said the shooting happened in a car.
“The horrific incident took place while these family members were in a motor vehicle about to leave to Makgophong village, on August 19, 2023 at around 7pm. Unfortunately, the wife's cousin and sister succumbed to the injuries, while she and a one-year-old child remained in a critical condition,” he said.
Police discovered that prior to the shooting in the car, the security guard had also attacked and shot other people – a husband and wife who were trying to help him resolve his marital issues.
IOL