A grieving mother has spoken about her daughter and granddaughter’s shocking deaths, at the hands of a police officer.
Abona, 27, and one-year-old Lihlume Magaba were shot and killed at their Samora Machel home by Constable Thembelani Lamani on Wednesday evening.
According to the police, the cop who stationed at Faure used his service pistol.
The couple had been together for about three years and Abona broke up with the officer over the Easter weekend.
Mom Nozuko Magaba explained Lamani had been visiting their home, trying to get back with the 27-year-old mom but she refused.
On Tuesday, the constable shot his ex-girlfriend and daughter while hid in the wardrobe.
“I was walking out of the yard, he was standing outside by the gate and he was smoking. I knew him, he was in a relationship with my daughter. I asked him why he was here and told him not to go into my house while smoking,” the grief-stricken woman said.
“He took out a gun and I told Abona to lock the door. My 14-year-old daughter locked the door, he shot just under the lock and then shot at the window to the passage and then went to the window on the side of the house and broke it and gained entry.
“There were so many shots, all I could say to the people was that my family was being annihilated. And then I heard my husband shout, ‘Why have you come to kill my child in my house?’
“Shortly after that, I heard another shot. I decided to run to my sister’s house and told her that people have been killed in my house.
“The police responded very quickly and asked where the shooting was. I told them in my house, they went inside.
“They told me not to go inside and they told me that my husband was still alive, but my eldest daughter and grandchild had been killed and that the young one had been shot in the leg.”
Nozuko said Lamani then shot and killed himself in the car which was parked outside the house.
The gandmother explained that the relationship between Abona and Lamani was turbulent.
“He was an abusive man and we didn’t approve of him. Where my daughter drew the line was when he broke her laptop from work and her cellphone because she accused her of cheating, which wasn’t true. My daughter was either with him or here at home.
“My daughter had to buy a laptop which cost R15 000 because her employer didn’t care what happened.”
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie said detectives in Samora Machel are probing the circumstances surrounding the death of three people which includes that of an off-duty police constable.
“The tragic incident happened on Wednesday evening at about 7pm at Basil February Street, Samora Machel. Preliminary investigation suggests that the off-duty police constable shot his girlfriend, her daughter and wounded a 13-year-old girl in the leg who resides at the same address.
“He then went to his car where he allegedly turned his service pistol on himself. Two counts of murder, an attempted murder and an inquest were opened for further investigation.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za