Africa-Press – Eswatini. The family of Nosipho Dube, who was allegedly shot by her husband, who later turned the gun on himself, are questioning how the same weapon was released to him as it was in police custody.
This is the same gun which Mandiso Khanyile had previously used to shoot his wife Dube and left her for dead in a bush around June 2023, but she survived and a case was opened at the Pigg’s Peak Police Station. Nelisiwe Tanakethu Mavuso, who is Dube’s aunt, said it was the same gun that Mandiso used to kill her niece, yet the case did not even go through the court processes.
Trial
Mavuso said she was present when the gun was taken by the police and did not understand how then Khanyile got it back. According to Mavuso, the attempted murder case trial was slated for June 26, 2023 and four months down the line, Dube has been killed. Mavuso said Khanyile was out on bail after he had attempted to kill Dube while they were in Pigg’s Peak. She said the family had engaged the couple several times regarding the domestic violence issues, but thought Khanyile would change. “We did not anticipate that it would end up reaching such extremes,” Mavuso said. Questioned what might have been the cause of Khanyile’s violent behaviour, Mavuso cited issues of inferiority complex as Dube was financially stable. She said most of the time the couple quarrelled over minor issues, including that she had delayed arriving home. “There is surely nothing substantial which our child did that could result in her being killed,” Mavuso noted. Dube’s aunt said the major driver of the violence meted to her niece by her partner was that she was earning a huge salary compared to him.
According to Mavuso, the family had discouraged Dube from staying in her marriage. However, she said the couple decided to get back together and was told by her niece that Khanyile was being engaged by the Domestic Violence and Protection Unit. She said issues of upbringing and anger were mentioned by her niece, adding that her husband would come around and all would be well, but the cycle would start all over again. Meanwhile, a member of the Khanyile family also shared that Dube reported the toxic relationship between herself and her husband. The relative stated that Dube would at times call in the middle of the night while being asaulted. “I would wake up at times to mediate,” the relative said.
She said following the attempted murder incident where Khanyile missed his wife with a gun, Dube moved out. This, she said, brought relief as they were happy that she was safe.
When sought for comment on how the questioned gun was released from police custody, following the shooting incident in June, Chief Police Information and Communication Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said they were still enquiring. Vilakati said they were investigating on how the weapon was released back to the suspect, if indeed there was a case.
For More News And Analysis About Eswatini Follow Africa-Press
