Back behind bars: Paroled ex-SANDF soldier arrested for running over lover in Limpopo
A 66-year-old former SANDF soldier, released on parole in 2022 after serving part of a life sentence, has been arrested for allegedly running over and killing his 56-year-old girlfriend during a heated argument in Seshego Zone 3.
The incident occurred on February 5, 2026.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the suspect was arrested following a coordinated operation.
The operation involved the Provincial Tracking Team, the Provincial Investigations Unit and external law enforcement partner Tshimollo Security and Investigation.
“According to reports, after allegedly running over the victim, the suspect abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot,” Ledwaba said.
He added that a member of Tshimollo Security and Investigation, who was in the area at the time, pursued the suspect and alerted police after spotting him hiding at a nearby house.
“Police operational teams responded swiftly and successfully apprehended the suspect,” Ledwaba said.
The woman was certified dead at the scene.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is a former soldier who was released on parole in 2022 after serving part of a life sentence imposed in 2002 by the Polokwane High Court. He had been convicted of fatally shooting three women, including his then girlfriend, in Westenburg.
“At the time of the incident, the suspect was reportedly residing with the deceased at her parental home in Seshego Zone 3,” Ledwaba said.
Meanwhile, Limpopo provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe expressed deep concern over the continued killing of women by their intimate partners.
She described it as deeply troubling and despicable that a parolee is alleged to have committed another violent crime, emphasising that women continue to be brutally murdered by people they trust.
Hadebe stressed that parolees are expected to strictly comply with the conditions of their release and warned that any violation of the law would be dealt with decisively.
“Police investigations are continuing,” Ledwaba said.
The suspect is expected to appear before the Seshego Magistrate’s Court on Monday, February 9, 2026, on a charge of murder.
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
IOL News