CAPE TOWN: The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is investigating the Tweefontein Police Station after a police Sergeant shot and killed his wife, a police Constable, and then turned the gun on himself.
According to IPID spokesperson Grace Langa, the police watchdog will be opening a case against the police station, after it failed to report the incident.
Langa said the incident occurred on Wednesday, December 29, at 2pm.
She said both the police sergeant and the constable died on the scene, in the Dennilton area, where the mother of the constable resides.
“Apparently they were husband and wife staying together at Tweefontein. The wife was visiting her mother, when the husband followed her and killed her. It is not known what led to the husband acting the way he did,” Langa said.
The warrant officer who reported the incident allegedly told IPID he was not sure why the matter wasn’t reported to the directorate immediately.
“IPID will open a Section 33 case, of failing to report the incident as per the IPID Act, against the station.
“An investigation will be conducted later by one of its Limpopo supervisors/managers, as this case falls under Limpopo province,” Langa said.
She said the directorate only became aware of the incident after the forensic pathologist refused to conduct the post mortem without IPID, as he knew it was supposed to be an IPID matter.
“The pathologist phoned IPID which, in turn, phoned the station – which accepted the omission of not informing IPID.
“Investigations are ongoing,” Langa added.