Five-year-old sees dad kill mom on New Year's eve

A five-year-old boy saw his father assault and shoot his mother minutes before the new year, Mpumalanga police said on Wednesday.

"The boy's mother, who was 26-years-old, and the father were talking and he started hitting her. He then shot her in front of the boy," Colonel Leonard Hlathi said.

It was unclear what the argument, at the couple's house in Senotlelo village, outside Mhlanga, on Monday night, was about.

After his mother was killed the boy ran to the house of his maternal grandparents a few streets away and told them what had happened.

"The family of the woman went to the house and before they arrived at the scene they heard gunshots... It was found that the man had committed suicide."

He died on the scene. The wife was taken to Mmametlhake hospital. She died several hours later.

Hlathi advised people to learn to deal with their problems appropriately.

"You are leaving grief behind by committing suicide and what that boy has seen will be in his mind for a long time," he said.