Disbelief after man turns gun on himself after killing wife, stepdaughter

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Johannesburg - Police are investigating a double murder and suicide case after a man allegedly shot dead his wife and stepdaughter before turning the gun on himself. The Star found family members cleaning the gory scene on Thursday, wearing gloves as they tried to remove the bloodstains on the floor and wall after Wednesday evening’s tragedy in Cosmo City, Joburg. The families of the wife, Vita Ndlovu, 53, and her spouse, Alfred Ncube, 53, had removed all the furniture from the kitchen where the deadly shooting happened to mop up. Ncube is believed to have shot his wife after the couple had failed to resolve long-term domestic problems. It is alleged his 20-year-old biological daughter and 27-year-old stepdaughter were sitting outside the house when they heard gunshots. The stepdaughter then rushed into the house – only to be killed.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said: “Police were called to the scene after gunshots were heard. Attempts by the man’s relatives to talk him out of (any) further shooting allegedly failed as he then allegedly turned the gun on himself.

"All three were declared dead on the scene. Police also seized a licensed pistol believed to have been used to commit the crime.”

Speaking outside the house where the deaths occurred, Ndlovu’s brother, Philiph Ndlovu, said he received a call from his brother-in-law, Ncube, telling him to rush to the house because he had “messed up”.

“I asked what was going on but he just hung up on me. I tried to call my sister (Ndlovu) and she didn’t pick up. I tried calling again and my brother-in-law picked up.

"He just said, ‘oh you’re still calling, I am already done with her’. That’s when I called the other family members and we rushed here,” said Philiph.

He said the couple, who were married for over 20 years, had their ups and downs and called him last year to attend a family meeting.

“Alfred always told me that they had problems but when I tried to intervene, my sister wouldn’t speak out. The last time I intervened was last year in March. The sad part is that I don’t even know what was wrong.

“They also tried involving the police in 2016 to intervene, but it still could not be resolved,” said Philiph.

“This is very heartbreaking. We don’t have the power to deal with it but have to be strong as the elders. My sister was a churchgoer and both of them were very quiet.

“We don’t know what may have gone wrong.”

Ncube’s older brother, Titus Ncube, said: “Alfred called my younger brother to rush here because he had messed up. When my brother got here, he had locked himself inside the house.

"The neighbours had called the police after receiving the news from his biological daughter.

“My brother got here and tried calming him down and asked that he unlock the door. The police also tried their best, but he just decided to pull the trigger on himself after 30 minutes of trying to calm him,” he said.

The Star