The High court of South Africa, Gauteng division in Pretoria, has sentenced police sergeant Kate Lindiwe Hlongwane (47), attached to Dube police station under visible policing in Gauteng, to 17 years’ direct imprisonment for the murder of her husband, Russel Hlongwane (40), the father of their three children. Evidence presented in court revealed that on 27 January 2024, Hlongwane visited a sangoma in Soshanguve, JJ. Her husband was alerted by the vehicle tracking system that the family car was in a high-risk area. He drove to the location and found Hlongwane consulting with the sangoma.
He instructed her to return home, and they drove back separately to their residence in Soshanguve Extension 7. Later that evening, when the deceased arrived home, he confronted Hlongwane about her visit, and an argument ensued. The deceased told her that he would take her to his parents’ home “to learn discipline.” They began loading Hlongwane’s clothes into their vehicle and drove off together. A few minutes later, in the early hours of the morning, they returned home, where Hlongwane shot her husband multiple times with her service pistol.
In delivering judgment, Judge Papi Mosopa agreed with the State that Hlongwane had not demonstrated remorse, noting that even after conviction, she did not apologise to the deceased’s family.
Although the court deviated from the prescribed minimum sentence, the judge stated that the imposed sentence serves not only to punish Hlongwane but also to send a clear message that conflicts must be resolved respectfully and lawfully, without resorting to domestic violence.
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