A South African police constable shot dead his teenage nephew before killing himself early Wednesday, ending a 16-hour hostage standoff that gripped a Pretoria township and renewed calls for mental health support for officers.
The 32-year-old constable, identified as Thapelo Mashigo from Boschkop police station, held his mother and 18-year-old nephew captive in their Mamelodi East home from 8 a.m. Tuesday until just before midnight, police said.
“Negotiators were still negotiating to see if the constable would come out. In the process, while the team was approaching, just before they entered the house, two shots were heard,” Tshwane police district commissioner Major General Samuel Thine told reporters.
The Special Task Force found both the constable and his nephew dead from gunshot wounds inside the house in the Buffer Zone area. The constable’s mother was released shortly before the shooting and rushed to hospital.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said Mashigo had fired two shots before officers arrived Tuesday morning, raising immediate concerns for the hostages’ safety.
The constable, who joined the police service in 2019 and was deployed to the regional Essential Infrastructure Task Team, had cooperated with negotiators throughout the day and requested to see his girlfriend and brother.
“The hostage situation was resolved just before midnight when the Special Task Force members were about to tactically penetrate the house,” Muridili said in a statement.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate will investigate the incident. Police will register cases of murder, kidnapping and an inquest at Mamelodi East Police Station.
Tshwane MMC for Environmental Management and Agriculture Obakeng Ramabodu, who was at the scene, called for enhanced mental health support services for South African police officers.
Police Employee Health and Wellness teams remain on site providing psychosocial support to the family and the constable’s colleagues.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about mental health challenges within South Africa’s police force, which faces high stress levels from violent crime and resource constraints.
Police have not disclosed the motive behind the hostage situation.
