Africa-Press – Eswatini. In what is a shocking incident, four women were gunned down by a man who is believed to be a deputy sheriff in Manzini – killing all of them instantly, and leaving their families gripped in pain and searching for answers.
There were no details of what had enraged the sheriff, who is said to have showed up unannounced to the place, where the women were having a celebration, going on to shoot the four dead, including one who is said to have been his girlfriend at a home in Goje Township, Ezulwini.
The four have been identified as Cynthia Shongwe, Fikile Shongwe, Dunkie Shongwe and Nonhlanhla Thwala, who is known to her close friends as ‘Fazo’. A fifth woman, who has not yet been identified, is fighting for her life at a hospital.
The shooting happened in front of children, with the youngest being three years old.
The sheriff is said to have been romantically involved with Cynthia.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilkati confirmed the incident and that the suspect, who is 45 years old, handed himself over to the police.
The suspect also handed over the gun, which was confirmed by Vilakati to have been licensed.
The woman, whose home the shooting took place, had hosted her sisters and friends to a braai to celebrate the fact that she had renovated her pool.
The women who died were confirmed to be between the ages of 48 and 49, while the fifth one is aged 55. Three of them were related as sisters and were known to be close friends with Thwala and the fifth woman.
Three of the women are from Goje Township, while two are from Mahwalala.
The woman who survived this shocking incident is said to have been hiding when the four were shot by their attacker.
Sources told this newspaper that the woman had assumed the sheriff had left when she opened a door, only to alert him that there had been someone still in the house.
He is said to have then turned back to shoot her, leaving her for dead.
The homestead is located in Ezulwini, just opposite Kobe Ramokgadi Learning Academy.
A distraught brother to the three sisters, identified as Michael, who was found in the yard with other members of the family, confirmed the incident.
Also present was the family grounds- man and the husband of one of the deceased women.
The husband had come to fetch his wife’s car and was heard saying that jail was not enough for this man.
He asked not to comment on the issue, and took his wife’s car and left the premises.
Michael said he was not in a position to speak as he was still reeling in shock at what had happened to his sisters.
“I do not understand how a person can do this, what kind of animal does this; there was a three-year-old who witnessed this. Having to listen to a child tell you how they ran and hid under a bed,” he said.
Michael said he wanted to understand why the suspect would do such a painful thing.
“What kind of a person does this? I do not understand and I wish I could get a chance to talk to him and ask him why he did this.
Why could he not slap them, they were defenceless women. Even if he had used fists to fight them, they could not defend themselves let alone from a gun,” he said. He said even if they had been in a relationship and she had wronged him, he still did not have a right to kill her.
The homeowner was said to have had three children with the youngest being less than 10 years, the older two teenagers who were seen alighting from a relative’s car.
The girls had come to get clothes for their youngest sister and left with the unidentified relative.
A man who asked to be identified as Maziya was in the employ of the homeowner said his boss was a kind woman.
Deserve
“I have worked for her for four years and we got along so well. She did not deserve this, I am just worried about the children, especially the youngest one, she is still in primary,” he said.
Maziya said he did not know the nature of their relationship but he was used to seeing the sherriff as he would often come to the home.
“He once came to an unveiling of my boss’ husband; he came with his wife and his children. I don’t know what their relationship was like but I do know him,” he said.
Source: observer
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