WATCH:Husband Killed and Set Alight After Fatally Shooting Wife at Nkuna Kraal Mall in Limpopo

On August 9, 2025, a man shot and killed his wife at Nkuna Kraal Mall near Elim in Limpopo Province. The victim was carrying a child at the time of the shooting, but the child escaped unharmed. Both the shooter and the victim were police sergeants.

Following the incident, the man turned his weapon toward the fleeing child, leading outraged community members to intervene. They disarmed him, assaulted him, and set him alight, causing his death at the scene. Authorities are investigating the motives for the initial shooting and the circumstances of the two deaths.

This incident highlights the ongoing issue of gender-based violence in South Africa, particularly in Limpopo Province. More than two thirds of women in Limpopo have experienced some form of gender-based violence in their lifetime.

Limpopo has the highest rates of intimate partner violence in South Africa, with over half of women affected. In 2020, one in five South African women were victims of gender-based violence and femicide.

Between April 2022 and March 2023, 53,498 sexual offences were reported to the South African Police Service. In the 2022/23 period, Limpopo recorded the highest proportion of rape cases among reported crimes against children at 54.3 percent.

Limpopo also has the highest call rates for gender-based violence reports, with 104 calls per 100,000 people, totaling 6,804 calls over a four-year period. In the second quarter of 2023/2024, South Africa recorded 14,401 assaults, 10,516 cases of rape, and 1,514 cases of attempted murder against women.