A 46-year-old woman was fatally shot, allegedly by her partner, in Komatipoort, a town located near the Mozambican border in Mpumalanga.

The shooting occurred on Friday, and the suspect (48) handed himself over to the police yesterday at 07:00.

According to provincial police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli, the suspect made a surprise visit to the victim’s flat.

The woman’s child left her mother and the suspect arguing when she went to school.

“The mother, who was employed as a SARS official, was preparing for work on Friday at 06:00.

“When her daughter returned from school, the door to the flat was surprisingly locked. Neighbours tried to assist in gaining entry, after suspecting that something sinister could have happened to the woman,” says Mdhluli.

He says that after the daughter and the neighbours gained access to the flat, they discovered that the woman had sustained gunshot wounds, and was lying in a pool of blood.

Police and paramedics were summoned to the scene, where the woman was certified dead by the paramedics.

A murder case was opened and a police investigation is underway.

When the suspect was arrested, police recovered a firearm with its serial number filed off.

“The firearm will undergo ballistic testing to determine whether it was previously used in the commission of a crime. At this stage, police cannot rule out the possibility of adding more charges against the suspect as the investigation continues,” he says.

The suspect has been charged with murder and is expected to appear in the Komatipoort Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.