Police Sergeant found guilty for the murder of her husband in Soshanguve
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The High Court sitting in Tshwane Gauteng has found a 45 years old Police Sergeant, Kate Lindiwe Hlongwane guilty for the murder of her 40 years old husband, Russell Hlongwane.
It is said according to evidence led in court that on 27 January 2024, Hlongwane visited a sangoma in Soshanguve, block JJ.
Her husband was alerted by the vehicle tracker that the family car was in a high-risk area. The husband then drove to the location and found Hlongwane consulting with the sangoma. He instructed her to return home, and they each drove back in separate vehicles to their residence in Soshanguve Extension 7, near Rosslyn.
Later that night, when the husband arrived home, he confronted Hlongwane about her visit to the sangoma, and an argument ensued. The deceased then told her that he would take her to his parents’ house “to learn discipline.” They began loading Hlongwane’s clothes into their vehicle and drove off together.
A few minutes later in the early hours of the morning, they returned home, where Hlongwane shot her husband several times with her service pistol.
The family’s helper went outside to investigate what was wrong upon hearing the car returning after gunshots and asked Hlongwane what happened and the whereabouts of her husband’s but her questions were ignored.
The helper told the police that she found the deceased laying helpless in front of the neighbor’s gate. The neighbor drove him to Akasia hospital where he was later declared dead.She was arrested later that day by fellow SAPS members and on 28 January 2024, and the case was referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) for investigation.
During appearances and giving evidence in court, she pleaded not guilty and alleged that the gun accidentally went off while she was in a tussle with her husband.
However, Advocate Vhungani Khoza for the State presented expert ballistic evidence, which contradicted her version. The ballistic expert, trained in distance determination and wound analysis, demonstrated that the shots were fired from a distance, disproving her claim and proving the State’s case beyond a reasonable doubt.
She is due to be sentenced on December 1st, 2025.
