A 54-year-old man, Eric Mundalamo, who allegedly killed his 42-year-old wife Precious Mbedzi during a church service at Makonde Shadani village, outside Thohoyandou, has appeared in court.
Mundalamo made his first appearances before the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, and his case was postponed to June 10 for formal bail application.
The court appearance on Wednesday came after Mundalamo handed himself to police on Monday afternoon.
“It is reported that suspect entered the (church) premises on Saturday, March 30, at about 6pm, while the congregation was engaged in worship and callously fired multiple shots at the victim, resulting in her untimely death,” said Limpopo provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba.
After the horrific shooting, the killer fled the scene in a silver-grey Toyota Corolla vehicle.
“The motive behind the incident is still unclear, but domestic violence cannot be ruled out,” said Ledwaba.
On Monday, IOL reported that a massive police manhunt was launched to find the man who had brutally killed his wife during the church service.
At the time, Limpopo provincial commissioner of police, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe condemned the incident, and called on the police to urgently track down the alleged killer and arrest him.
In February, IOL reported that Police Minister Bheki Cele had expressed concern about the spike in the murder rate in the country, with 7,710 people murdered between October and December last year.
Cele said this was an increase of 2.1% compared to the same period last year.
He said authorities were concerned about the rise in the murder rate in the country. There were 7,710 people killed in the third quarter of last year, which is 155 more people compared to the same period the previous year.
IOL