The widow of a murdered Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) constable is set to appear in court on Monday after she was arrested in connection with the brutal murder of her husband.
Allegations are that Constable Banele Sikhosana’s wife arranged the hit on her husband, who was shot dead in cold blood on Vilakazi Street in Kwa-Thema, Ekurhuleni, during the early hours of February 7. The assailants also stole Sikhosana's private firearm.
Sikhosana, 32, was gunned down by two assailants in Kwa-Thema outside his spaza shop near his home. It is alleged by witnesses that Sikhosana had offloaded stock for his tuck shop and as he was about to leave, he was accosted by two gunmen.
On social media, videos showed the widow crying hysterically on Friday during Sikhosana’s memorial service which was done by the EMPD. A day later, the grieving 42-year-old wife was arrested by police while she was on the mattress surrounded by family elders. She was reportedly grasping onto pictures of her late husband at the time of the arrest.
At the time of the arrest, the widow was preparing for the funeral, after two other alleged killers were initially arrested. The arrested killers apparently confessed to police that the wife was the mastermind behind the murder.
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Pictures also shared online showed celebrations on November 30 when Sikhosana had finished paying lobola for his wife. The couple reportedly had a two-year-old child and had been in a relationship for five years.
The widow, who cannot be named until her court appearance, is set to make her first appearance in the Springs Magistrate’s Court in Ekurhuleni on Monday.
It is also alleged that Sikhosana had previously survived an attempt on his life, as the wife had allegedly tried to kill him in previous instances.
According to media reports, the wife had attempted to kill Sikhosana by poisoning his food. The EMPD officer survived the poisoning, only to be gunned down a week later.
During the murder, the EMPD police officer based at OR Tambo International Airport in Ekurhuleni was reportedly shot several times while he was off duty.
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