A Pretoria sergeant has been sentenced to 17 years’ direct imprisonment for the murder of her husband, after a late-night domestic dispute in Akasia in 2024 ended in a struggle over her official firearm.

According to Lizzy Suping, spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), the incident happened in Akasia on 28 January 2024.

“On the day of the incident, the 44-year-old Rusell Hlongwane arrived home at around 00:30, threw his wife’s, Sergeant Lindiwe Hlongwane (47), clothes in the back of the bakkie, and ordered her to leave their matrimonial home.

“They then drove out of the yard but came back a few minutes later.”

Suping said the deceased allegedly took out the wife’s official firearm from her handbag, and pointed it at her.

She tried to grab the firearm from the husband, and a scuffle ensued.

“During the scuffle, the firearm discharged four bullets, all of them hitting the husband.

“The deceased sustained gunshot wounds on the left hand, right side of the ribs, left side of the hip, and on the stomach.”

She said the incident was reported to IPID for investigation, and after the finalisation of the investigation, the docket was referred to the prosecutors, who recommended that Sergeant

Hlongwane should be charged with murder.

She appeared in the Akasia Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday and was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment.