Barely two months after three police officers died in a murder-suicide in Kariega, another apparent murder-suicide in Gqeberha has left two young boys without parents and renewed concerns about domestic violence and psychological well-being within the South African Police Service ranks.

A 44-year-old police sergeant allegedly shot and killed his 34-year-old wife before turning the firearm on himself at their home in the otherwise quiet suburb of Parsonsvlei about midnight over the weekend – just days before their youngest son’s sixth birthday.

The couple’s 12-year-old son, according to a close relative, witnessed his parents embroiled in a heated argument before the gunshots rang out. He later walked in on the gruesome scene in the living room while his five-year-old brother slept peacefully in their bedroom.

The deaths mark the second police murder-suicide to shock Nelson Mandela Bay this year, after the jealousy-fuelled fatal shooting involving police officers Riaan van Heerden, Stach Jantjies and Cerwynn Williams in Kariega in May.

Police spokesperson Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said the couple had been involved in an “altercation” at their home in Parsonsvlei before the shooting on Saturday, 18 July 2026 at about 12.05am.

“Police were called to the scene, where they found the bodies of a 34-year-old female police official and her 44-year-old husband, who is also a police official. Both were found with gunshot wounds and were declared deceased on the scene,” Mawisa said.

The names of the officers are being withheld to protect the identity and well-being of the minor children after the traumatic incident.

Inside the home, at least nine bullet holes in the living room ceiling and kitchen counters had been marked with forensic evidence markers. The children’s aunt said holes in the couple’s couches appeared to have been caused by gunfire.

Outside, two vehicles remained parked beneath the carport.

Bulletholes in the skirting of the kitchen cupboards. (Photo: Kyran Blaauw)

Speaking to Daily Maverick, the aunt said the family had no indication that the couple’s relationship was in trouble and that they had always kept their personal affairs private.

“They were really good people, especially the father,” she said. “As a family, we could not see if there were problems between the two of them. They kept certain things to themselves.”

According to the relative, the couple argued late on Friday night after the husband allegedly wanted to leave the house.

“He wanted to leave with his car, but the wife said that he was not going to leave the house. After that, that is when the argument broke out between the two.”

She said the couple’s eldest son heard the gunshots before finding his parents dead in the living room.

Neighbours reportedly heard the shots, alerted the police and rushed to the house, where they found the children and the couple.

The aunt said the younger child slept through the shooting and began asking questions only when he saw police officers carrying out forensic work at the house.

“The eldest keeps watching reels on social media. They will also probably go get counselling after this incident,” she said.

Mawisa said the SAPS had activated its Employee Health and Wellness Programme to provide counselling and support to affected colleagues and the couple’s two children.

Mawisa identified the woman as a sergeant stationed at Mount Road SAPS and the man as a sergeant attached to New Brighton SAPS.

“The circumstances surrounding this tragedy form part of the ongoing investigation. The firearm believed to have been used in the incident has been recovered and confiscated by police,” she said.

Pattern of police-linked domestic violence

The deaths come amid continued concern over domestic violence involving police officers.

Statistics previously obtained from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) show that 27 domestic violence-related cases involving police officers were recorded nationally during the 2025/26 financial year.

The Eastern Cape accounted for eight cases, five of which were murder-suicides. In two cases, officers were arrested, while in another, the officer was allegedly shot and killed by police, said Ipid spokesperson Phaladi Shuping.

Gauteng recorded seven cases, including five murder-suicides, while the Western Cape recorded one murder-suicide.

At least three shots were fired into the ceiling of the couple’s home in Parsonvlei, Gqeberha. (Photo: Kyran Blaauw)

According to Shuping, in the previous financial year, the Eastern Cape recorded three domestic violence-related cases involving police officers, none of which were murder-suicides.

Nationally, six police-related murder-suicide cases were recorded during the 2024/25 financial year.

The Free State recorded three domestic violence cases, one of which was a murder-suicide.

Gauteng recorded seven cases, including two murder-suicides, while two officers survived attempted suicides and three were arrested.

Limpopo recorded two cases, one involving a murder-suicide, while the remaining officer was arrested. North West recorded one case, in which the officer was arrested. The Northern Cape and the Western Cape each recorded one murder-suicide.

Popcru slams SAPS for inadequate support

Richard Mamabolo, national spokesperson for the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), said the incident in Nelson Mandela Bay, as well as similar incidents elsewhere, pointed to an “urgent crisis” in the psychological well-being of police officers.

He said the incidents should serve as a serious warning that the well-being of police officers could not continue to be treated as a secondary matter.

“Every loss of life is devastating, and incidents involving members of the police service have far-reaching consequences for families, workplaces and the broader community.

“While the circumstances of each incident must be thoroughly investigated and it would be inappropriate to speculate about individual motives before the relevant investigations are concluded, Popcru believes these incidents point to a broader and increasingly urgent crisis concerning the psychological well-being of police officers,” Mamabolo said.

He said officers worked in exceptionally demanding environments, regularly exposed to violent crime, traumatic scenes, deaths, injuries, threats to their lives and intense public scrutiny.

These pressures, Mamabolo said, are compounded by staff shortages, excessive workloads, long hours, inadequate resources, poor infrastructure and difficult management conditions, as well as personal, family and financial challenges.

Mamabolo said the incidents should not be dismissed as “individual weakness or personal failure”, but should instead force the South African Police Service and government to confront the cumulative effects of trauma, workplace stress and declining morale.

He said Popcru had repeatedly questioned whether the SAPS’ Employee Health and Wellness interventions were sufficiently accessible, adequately staffed and trusted by members.

“Although psychosocial support structures exist within SAPS, their existence on paper does not necessarily mean that every officer receives timely, confidential and effective assistance.

“In some workplaces, officers may be reluctant to seek help because of stigma, fear of being judged as incapable of performing their duties, concerns about confidentiality or uncertainty about how seeking psychological assistance may affect their careers. There may also be insufficient follow-up after members have been exposed to traumatic incidents,” he said.

Mamabolo said the SAPS should strengthen preventative and ongoing psychosocial support instead of intervening only after a crisis, including providing training for station commanders and managers to identify officers in distress and respond with sensitivity rather than punishment, ridicule or indifference.

“Popcru is of the view that current psychosocial support is not adequate when measured against the scale and intensity of the challenges police officers face. More resources, personnel, confidentiality safeguards and proactive interventions are urgently required.

“These tragic incidents should serve as a serious warning that the well-being of police officers cannot continue to be treated as a secondary matter. Police officers are expected to protect society under extremely difficult conditions, but the state has an equal responsibility to protect and support those officers,” Mamabolo said.

SAPS urges members to seek help

Responding to additional questions from Daily Maverick on the recent spate of murder-suicides and gender-based violence among its ranks, Mawisa said, “SAPS is conducting capacity building sessions and awareness programmes to educate SAPS members on gender-based violence/domestic violence, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence and responsible firearm ownership and consequences thereof.”

According to Mawisa, commanders and supervisors are encouraged to identify members in their sections displaying signs of emotional distress and refer them for professional support.

He said the police enforced “temporary removal of service firearms when members are involved in domestic violence or have signs of emotional distress, in accordance with applicable legislation and SAPS policies.”

“Disciplinary and criminal action is taken against members who are found to have violated the law or SAPS regulations in case of any incident that involves the unlawful use of a firearm,” Mawisa said.

According to Mawisa, SAPS members were “encouraged to seek assistance early when experiencing personal or emotional difficulties” through the relevant programmes, adding that families and colleagues were urged to report warning signs so that timely interventions could be made. DM