From the Sangoma to a Sentence: Pretoria Policewoman Found Guilty of Murdering Her Husband

A Service Pistol and a Shattered Family: Police Sergeant Convicted of Husband’s Murder

In a case that exposes a devastating breach of trust, the Pretoria High Court has found police sergeant Kate Lindiwe Hlongwane guilty of murdering her own husband. The 45 year old officer, who was based at the Dube police station, was convicted of the premeditated killing of Russel Hlongwane, the father of their three children. The court systematically dismantled her claim of an accidental shooting, revealing a story that began with a visit to a sangoma and ended in a hail of gunfire.

The verdict closes a painful chapter for a family torn apart by violence, and opens another focused on the sentencing of a woman entrusted with upholding the law.

A Fateful Night Unravels

The tragedy unfolded on a January night in Soshanguve. The chain of events began when Russel Hlongwane received an alert from the family car’s tracker, showing the vehicle was in a location he considered high-risk. He drove to the address and found his wife, Sergeant Hlongwane, consulting with a sangoma.

A confrontation ensued. Russel instructed his wife to return home, and they drove separately back to their residence in Soshanguve Extension 7. The argument continued there, escalating to the point where Russel told Kate he was taking her to his parents’ house so she could “learn discipline.”

The Final Journey and a Return Home

The couple began loading Kate’s clothes into the car and drove off together. This detail would become critical. A few minutes later, in the early hours of the morning, they returned home. It was upon this return that Kate Hlongwane shot her husband multiple times with her service pistol.

The sound of the gunshots alerted the family’s domestic worker, who went outside to investigate. She encountered the policewoman, who ignored her questions about her husband’s whereabouts. The helper continued her search and made a grim discovery: Russel was lying on the ground outside their gate, near a neighbour’s house, bleeding profusely. A neighbour rushed him to Akasia Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A Forensically Flawed Defence

At her trial, Sergeant Hlongwane pleaded not guilty. She claimed her service pistol had discharged accidentally during a physical struggle with her husband. However, the state, led by advocate Vhungani Khoza, presented a compelling counter-argument.

A ballistic expert testified that the fatal shots were fired from a distance, directly contradicting Hlongwane’s version of a close-quarters struggle. This scientific evidence proved crucial. Judge Papi Mosopa found Hlongwane’s account “unconvincing and improbable,” and wholly accepted the state’s credible and unchallenged case.

With the conviction secured, the matter has been postponed to December 1 for sentencing proceedings, where the full weight of the law will determine the final price for a crime that destroyed a family.