Police in North West are investigating a shocking incident in which a 25-year-old man hacked his 48-year-old mother to death with a shovel in Mosiane View village, Mahikeng, yesterday.

According to police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sam Tselanyane, the incident happened at around 11:00 and was captured on video, which has since been widely shared on social media.

The video shows the son violently attacking his mother with a shovel. Police say the man, described as aggressive and uncontrollable, was later shot by a neighbour who was trying to stop the attack. He succumbed to his injuries shortly after.

Potchefstroom Herald reports the motive for the brutal killing is not yet known, and police investigations are continuing.

Acting Provincial Commissioner of Police in North West, Major General Patrick Asaneng, strongly condemned the incident.

“The sadistic, gruesome and senseless death of a mother at the hands of her son is symptomatic of the scourge of satanistic ritual practices or drug addiction to which most young people are exposed,” said Asaneng.

“There is no way that it can be said there were no warning signs in the suspect’s life, given the gratuitous, demonic killing of his own mother. Even though he himself died after being shot, the SAPS Occult Related Crimes Unit will fully investigate this case to determine the cause and effect of this heinous tragedy.”

Police have urged the public not to share the video out of respect for the victim and her family, and to allow the investigation to proceed without interference.

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