A man from Eswatini, who was suspected of murdering his South African wife, was found dead in his vehicle in Midrand on Monday morning. Xolani Mandlazi, of Mahlabane in Mafutseni, was identified as a person of interest in the murder case of his estranged wife, Boitumelo Mashita. According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), Mandlazi had been sought in connection with the shooting of Mashita in Tembisa earlier on Monday.
The SAPS said Gauteng police were investigating a murder and robbery case after Mashita was shot and killed at about 5:45am on Monday at Temong, Mapungubwe Street in Tembisa. Mashita was reportedly on her way to work when she was shot during an alleged robbery, and her belongings were also taken. The police had linked Mandlazi to her murder and had been tracing him when they received information from Midrand Police Station that his vehicle had been found within its policing precinct, with his body inside.
The discovery of Mandlazi's corpse followed a search by the SAPS, and police said it was believed that he may have ingested an unknown substance. A post-mortem is expected to determine the exact cause of his death, while Midrand police will register an inquest case for further investigation. The SAPS said preliminary investigations had not established any link between Mashita's killing and recent cases involving the bodies of women found in Ekurhuleni.
According to a relative of Mandlazi, Jabulani, he had last seen him over the weekend in Manzini, where a cleansing ceremony was held. Mandlazi had arrived in Eswatini on Saturday for the ceremony and left the country on Sunday morning. The relative noted that while Mandlazi spent most of his time in Eswatini, where he also had a wife, he constantly moved between the two countries.
The relative further said that Mandlazi had married his local wife in Eswatini in civil rites and had left one minor child with her in the country. He also mentioned that Mandlazi and his wife in Eswatini had had some challenges related to his marriage to Mashita in South Africa. This information provides insight into Mandlazi's personal life and his connections to both Eswatini and South Africa.
The murder case and subsequent discovery of Mandlazi's body were widely published on South African media outlets as well as on social media, where users expressed concern over the continued brutal murders of women in South Africa. The SAPS Tembisa Tracking Team was tracing Mandlazi when they received the information about his vehicle's location.
The case highlights the ongoing issue of violence against women in South Africa, and the SAPS is working to investigate and prevent such crimes. Key aspects of the case include Mandlazi's identification as a person of interest, his death under suspicious circumstances, and the ongoing investigation into Mashita's murder.
Key points
- Xolani Mandlazi was found dead in his vehicle in Midrand.
- Mandlazi was a suspect in the murder of his wife, Boitumelo Mashita, in Tembisa.
- The SAPS is investigating the circumstances surrounding Mandlazi's death and Mashita's murder.
