Thursday, February 12, 2026 - A South African police officer has been sentenced to 17 years’ direct imprisonment for the murder of her husband.
The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria sentenced police
sergeant Kate Lindwe Hlongwane, 47, of the premeditated m8rder of her husband,
Russel Hlongwane, 40, who was also a father of their three children.
Hlongwane was based at the Dube police station in Pretoria,
under the visible policing unit.
According to Gauteng regional spokesperson for the National
Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Lumka Mahanjana, evidence presented in court
showed that on January 27, 2024, Hlongwane visited a sangoma in Soshanguve IN
Block JJ
Her husband was alerted by the vehicle tracker that the
family car was in a high-risk area. He then drove to the location and found
Hlongwane consulting with the sangoma,” said Mahanjana.
“He instructed her to return home, and they each drove back
in separate vehicles to their residence in Soshanguve Extension 7.”
Later that night, when Russel arrived home, he confronted
his wife about the visit to the sangoma, and an argument ensued.
Russel told Kate that he would take her to his parents’
house so that she would “learn discipline”.
The couple began loading Kate’s clothes into their vehicle
and drove off together.
A few minutes later, in the early hours of the morning, the
couple returned home, where Hlongwane shot her husband several times with her
service pistol.
Upon hearing the car return and gunshots soon after, the
family’s domestic worker went outside to investigate.
“She then met the policewoman, who ignored her when she
asked about her husband’s whereabouts,” said Mahanjana.
“The helper continued to search and found the deceased lying
on the ground outside their gate, bleeding profusely next to a neighbour’s
house. A neighbour, who also heard the gunshots, rushed the victim to Akasia
Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries."
Hlongwane was arrested the next day, and the case was
referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) for
investigation.
In court, Hlongwane pleaded not guilty, claiming the firearm
discharged accidentally during a struggle with her husband.
However, advocate Vhungani Khoza for the State presented
expert ballistic evidence that contradicted her version. The ballistic expert,
trained in distance determination and wound analysis, testified that the shots
were fired from a distance, disproving Hlongwane’s claim and proving the
State’s case beyond a reasonable doubt.
During sentencing proceedings, Hlongwane, through her legal
representative, requested leniency, citing that she is a first-time offender, a
mother of three minor children, and had been in custody since her arrest.
However, Khoza argued for a sentence that would send a
strong message to society. He submitted that Hlongwane showed no remorse and
had committed a serious act of domestic violence, a crime prevalent in the
country.
Khoza added that as a trained police official, she used her
service firearm to shoot and k!ll her husband multiple times.
The incident also caused deep division between the two
families, resulting in her family not attending the husband's funeral.
In his judgment, Judge Papi Mosopa agreed that Hlongwane had
not demonstrated remorse, noting that she had not apologised to the deceased’s
family even after conviction.
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