Sophia Michaels
Visu Mancina, a deputy sheriff, has surrendered to the police after shooting and killing four women, including his girlfriend, in her flat at Goje Township in Ezulwini, South Africa.
Women for Change, South Africa, in a post shared on Thursday, November 2, 2023, identified the victims as Nonhlanhla Thwala, Fikile Shongwe, Lungile Shongwe and Cynthia Shngwe.
A fifth woman survived the shooting and is reported to be critical at Mbabane Government Hospital.
Among the killed women was a sister to the deputy sheriff’s girlfriend. The incident happened on Saturday night, October 28, 2023.
It was gathered that the deputy sheriff was a regular visitor to his girlfriend’s flat. On Saturday, he is said to have arrived at the flat at around 11 p.m. in the company of his friends, having been called by his girlfriend.
It was gathered that the officer of the court visited his lover after spending some time at one of the popular bars in Ezulwini. Upon arrival at the flat, according to sources, the deputy sheriff found his girlfriend with her sister and her other friends, enjoying themselves in the sitting room.
It is believed that a conversation over infidelity claims may have resulted in the deputy sheriff opening fire on all five occupants of the flat. It was gathered that four women died on the spot, while the other one survived the shooting.
The survivor was reportedly shot in the back and the bullet came out through the stomach.
Some security guards who were patrolling the area shared that they heard gunshots at around 11 p.m. the previous night. It was after the police officers had assessed the scene that they informed the tenants and some of the relatives that five people had been shot and four had died.
Some of the tenants and the relatives failed to contain their emotions when they saw the bodies being retrieved from the flat and loaded into a police van.
The deceased persons’ belongings, such as cellphones and earrings, were shown to the relatives before they were taken by the police for further investigations.
“This man is up to something. Some cards are missing here,” one of the relatives was heard telling the police officers before they left with the corpses.
The relatives were told that the corpses would be taken to the mortuary after certification at the Mbabane Government Hospital.
It was later gathered that the suspect surrendered himself to the police, shortly after the incident.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the incident, saying that five women were shot while in a flat at Goje Township in Ezulwini. Vilakati said four women were certified dead upon arrival at the Mbabane Government Hospital.
She said one woman was critical in hospital, and that the suspect had surrendered himself at Lobamba Police Station.
