A Mourning Monday in Limpopo: Police Murder-Suicide and Weekend Shootings Shake SA

A Tragic Dawn in Nkowankowa: Limpopo Police Reels After Murder-Suicide and Weekend of Gun Violence

A shocking start to the week in Limpopo

The early hours of Monday brought heartbreak to Nkowankowa Police Station near Tzaneen, where two officers lost their lives in what police believe was a murder-suicide. According to officials, a male police officer allegedly shot and killed his female colleague before turning the firearm on himself.
Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba confirmed the tragedy while en route to the scene, adding that investigators suspect a domestic dispute may have sparked the deadly confrontation.

For many in Limpopo, the news feels like yet another heavy blow not only to the police service, but to families who have watched gender-based violence continue to bleed into intimate and professional spaces. The SAPS uniform is built on discipline and protection, but behind every badge is a human being with struggles and unseen storms.

Communities still shaken after Saulsville tavern massacre

The Limpopo tragedy unfolded just as the country is still processing another horrific scene, a weekend mass shooting in Saulsville, Tshwane.
On Saturday, gunmen stormed an informal tavern operating from a private home and unleashed gunfire on patrons. Twelve people died, including three minors: a 3-year-old boy, a 12-year-old boy, and a 16-year-old girl. Another 13 survivors are in hospital, fighting to recover.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed a manhunt is underway for three suspects, urging anyone with information to come forward. The motive remains unclear, but one thing is certain: communities are tired. Nighttime social spaces have increasingly become sites of bloodshed rather than joy a painful truth for township residents who often have limited recreational alternatives beyond taverns.

Tshwane MMC for Community Safety, Hannes Coetzee, called the incident “a painful moment for the Saulsville community and the city.” Many on social media echoed his words, expressing anger about illegal taverns and frustration over how easily guns move through neighbourhoods.

Another killing, this time in Brakpan, raises questions of witness safety

Just a day before the Limpopo shooting, yet another life was taken, this time on the East Rand. A witness who had testified at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry was shot dead in Brakpan. Police say the man had already provided testimony, allegedly implicating suspended EMPD senior official Julius Mkhwanazi in criminal activity.

His killing is now under investigation, and residents are asking a chilling question: Are whistle-blowers safe in South Africa?
With several high-profile witness murders in recent years, activists argue that protection systems urgently need strengthening.

Gun violence leaves communities drained, emotionally and socially

Three shootings in one weekend. Two police officers dead. Twelve lives stolen in a tavern. A witness silenced. It feels like South Africa is holding its breath, waiting for answers… or peace.

Behind every statistic is a home missing a voice at the dinner table, a police station missing a colleague, a community forced to mourn again. While investigations continue, families prepare for funerals and a nation grapples with how normalised tragedy has become.

This story is still developing, but the human cost is already clear

South Africans are resilient, yes, but resilience shouldn’t be a requirement for daily survival. For now, we wait for updates, arrests, and hopefully justice. But more importantly, we hold space for the families left behind.