Mamelodi East Hostage Situation Ends in Double Tragedy, Police Constable and 18-Year-Old Nephew Dead
- Two people have been confirmed dead after a tense hostage situation came to an end in Mamelodi East
- The constable held his 69-year-old mother and 18-year-old nephew hostage from 8 am on 9 September 2025
- Members of the Special Task Force were able to enter the home just before midnight and found two dead
- Shazel Dubree-Peerbay, Specialist Wellness Counsellor at Dubree's Counselling Inc, shared her insights with Briefly News
Source: Twitter
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – A hostage situation in Mamelodi East, Pretoria, has ended in tragedy.
A police constable, who had taken an older woman and his nephew hostage since 8 am on Tuesday, 9 September 2025, allegedly killed his nephew before turning the gun on himself.
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A 69-year-old woman, who is allegedly his mother, was released from the home at approximately 11 pm. Police initially believed that there were three individuals in the house with the officer when the situation began to unfold on 9 September.
They were later able to confirm that it was just the two, and that one of the individuals was his mother, and not his grandmother, as first presumed.
Nephew’s body found with gunshot wounds
According to Gauteng Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Brenda Muridili, negotiators were still trying to reason with the constable, as members of the Special Task Force (STF) were getting ready to enter the home. It was then that they heard two gunshots coming from within the house.
“Upon entering the house, the STF members found the body of the constable. As they searched the house further, they discovered the body of the constable’s 18-year-old nephew with gunshot wounds,” Muridili explained.
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Source: Twitter
According to the police, the officer in question was Constable Thapelo Mashigo. The 32-year-old joined the service in 2019 and was based at the Boschkop Police Station. He was deployed to the regional Essential Infrastructure Task Team.
While members of SAPS' Employee Health and Wellness team will continue to provide the family and the constable’s colleagues with psychosocial support in the wake of the tragedy, police will continue investigations into the matter.
“A case of murder, kidnapping, as well as an inquest, will be registered at the Mamelodi East Police Station. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) will also be informed," Muridili said.
Various units from the police, as well as medical personnel, remained on scene for the majority of the 16-hour standoff, as they were hoping for a peaceful resolution. At one stage, negotiators stated that the constable was calming down a lot more after he appeared to be very aggressive in the beginning.
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Specialist Wellness Counsellor weighs in on tragedy
Speaking to Briefly News about the tragedy, Shazel Dubree-Peerbay, Specialist Wellness Counsellor at Dubree's Counselling Inc, shared some insights about instances where people opted to take their own lives.
Dubree said that it was crucial to remember that while mental illness plays a big role in such cases, external factors like isolation, trauma, or even ongoing physical pain could also deeply impact someone’s mindset.
“It’s not always about wanting to die; it’s often about wanting to escape unbearable pain or emotional suffering, which can feel insurmountable to the person at the time,” she said.
She added that in these cases, it was important that law enforcement officers received proper training in de-escalation techniques, mental health awareness, and suicide prevention to protect themselves when exposed to high-stress situations and also offer the best service to the person in distress.
Family secrets reportedly behind hostage drama
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Briefly News reported that the hostage situation in Mamelodi East, Tshwane, was sparked by family secrets and claims of infidelity.
A family member revealed that the officer, who held his mother and nephew hostage, discovered that a child he thought was his belonged to a relative.
South Africans mourned the death and lamented the damaging consequences of infidelity in relationships.
Western Cape SAPS investigating 3 double murders in Kraaifontein
Briefly News reported that police in Kraaifontein are investigating three double murders which have rocked the Western Cape area. The murders happened in three separate shootings across Monday, 8 September, and Tuesday, 9 September 2025. It comes amid Acting Police Minister, Professor Firoz Cachalia’s visit to the area following a rise in gang violence.
Source: Briefly News
