By Zweli Martin Dlamini

NHLANGANO: Tigezile Magongo-Shongwe, the female police officer who was shot and killed on Wednesday evening, was involved in a domestic dispute with her husband Mashumi Shongwe, the Nhlangano Town Council Mayor.

Shongwe,a highly connected mafia was seeking to grab a home from his late wife and sell it to Indians, the police officer died while fighting for her rights.

The Nhlangano Mayor is also involved in another land scandal, he is in the process of sidelining other Councillors to grab land from informal traders and sell it to businesspeople.

Even though the suspect who killed the police officer remains unknown, it has been disclosed that the killers took advantage that Tigezile’s death might linked to politics.

Around 9pm on Wednesday, unknown sources were already sending information to this journalist, urging him to break the story suggesting that the police officer had been killed amid the ongoing shooting and killing of security officers, however, this publication delayed pending verification regarding the motive behind the killing.

The Nhlangano Mayor did not respond to our questionnaire below when asked to clarify the matter.

“Good day Mashumi Shongwe(Nhlangano Mayor).We have gathered that your wife Tigezile Magongo-Shongwe(a police officer) was shot and killed amid a dispute between her and you over domestic issues. Can you confirm that before the shooting, you were fighting your wife, seeking to sell her home?Kind Regards, Zweli Martin Dlamini, Swaziland News editor,” reads a questionnaire sent to the Mayor.

But the Times of eSwatini reported online that Mayor Mashumi confirmed the shooting and the killing of his wife, the newspaper alleged that Tigezile was shot by unknown people.

Reached for comments, Colani Hlatshwako,the One Billion Rising Campaign Coordinator said cases of domestic violence normally result to the killing of women.

“I once dealt with cases where Mashumi Shongwe was abusing his wife, this is not the first one. The cases ended-up in the DPM’s office because the woman was hoping that as a public figure, the DPM’s office can speak to him. Otherwise, what I can say is that cases of domestic violence normally result to killings if not addressed,” said the One Billion Rising Coordinator.

Police Spokesperson Superintendent Phindile Vilakati had not responded at the time of compiling this report.

But sources within the law enforcement agency alleged that Shongwe was summoned for questioning by the police.

Police officer Tigezile Magongo-Shongwe was shot dead allegedly, by unknown gunmen when she was entering her home at Nhlangano on Wednesday evening.