A community has been left torn after an off-duty police officer allegedly murdered his wife in Mfuleni.
Sergeant Sibonile Mlungisi, who is stationed at Mfuleni SAPS, was arrested for allegedly stabbing his wife Gcobisa, 36, on Sunday morning.
His neighbour, who asked not to be identified, says: “Their child shouted for help but no one responded because they always fought.
“It got to the point that no one really cared when there was an argument in their flat.”
The cop was reportedly drinking at a nearby shebeen when his wife went to fetch him.
“They were both very jealous spouses, always accusing each other of infidelity,” says the neighbour.
“That morning it was no different, she woke up and dressed really well, and he got jealous and asked if she dressed up for other men and then he left to go and drink.”
The woman tells the Daily Voice that Gcobisa went to get her husband from the shebeen and the couple then had a huge fight.
“She asked him about a woman who he was drinking with. They then fought and he stabbed her in the chest. She had internal bleeding.
“We arranged for a car to drive her to the hospital but she was dead by the time they got there.”
The woman says the incident has left their community shaken.
“This has left us torn because we care about both of them and I had hoped that he would get bail. I know that he didn’t mean to kill his wife.”
Sergeant Mlungisi appeared in the Blue Downs Magistrates’ Court yesterday on a charge of murder.
The matter was rolled over to this morning, as the investigating officer had not handed in his affidavit.
The murder took place at the same flat where Constable Lizwi Bambeni, 31, was killed seven months ago.
He had had an argument at a tavern with friends and then followed them home. He shot at their flat and his friends shot back, killing him.
“We are Xhosa people and we believe if there was blood spilled in the house, it must be cleansed,” the neighbour said.
“If the house is not cleansed, then there will be bad luck, and I suspect this killing was the result of that (Bambeni’s death).”