Africa-Press – South-Africa. A 25-year-old police constable attached to Crime Intelligence in Johannesburg has been convicted of the murder of his girlfriend.
Silas Masemola first claimed that his girlfriend, 31-year-old Puleng Khumalo, shot herself in April 2022 in Protea Ext 39 in Soweto.
He later changed his version of events and said the gun went off accidentally.
Masemola was found guilty in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
According to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, the woman was shot dead in the bathroom.
At the time, Masemola claimed Khumalo shot herself using his service pistol. But investigations revealed that this was not possible.
Masemola had pleaded not guilty, saying he was placing his firearm in the holster when a shot was accidentally discharged, killing Khumalo.
He denied intending to kill her.
He added that he had testified that Khumalo shot herself because he was “scared and shocked”, mainly because his gun was used.
During his bail application, Masemola said:
However, during cross-examination, Masemola was asked if anyone threatened him or forced him to say anything, and his response was “no”.
Several witnesses, including the girlfriend’s two cousins, testified that Khumalo told them that Masemola threatened to kill her if she were to leave him.
While the evidence was found to be “hearsay”, the court accepted it.
The court said that, based on the evidence, “there is no doubt that the accused carried out the threat which the [girlfriend] spoke about, and I find that he killed [Khumalo] by shooting her whilst she was in the bathroom”.
“His version that the shot went off accidentally is rejected by this court as being false beyond doubt.”
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