What began as a family argument in Mamelodi East on Tuesday morning spiraled into a tense hostage standoff that lasted the entire day and ended in heartbreak just before midnight.
Police confirmed that Constable Thapelo Mashigo, 32, was found dead inside his family’s home along with his 18-year-old nephew after gunshots rang out late at night.
The ordeal started around 8 am when Mashigo reportedly fired shots and refused to let his mother and nephew leave the house. Negotiators spent hours trying to calm him down, while Special Task Force teams stood by. By late evening, there was a breakthrough: Mashigo allowed his 69-year-old mother to leave safely.
But hopes of a peaceful resolution were shattered when gunfire erupted shortly before midnight. Officers rushed in to find the constable dead, and his nephew fatally wounded.
Mashigo had joined the police service in 2019 and was deployed to the Essential Infrastructure Task Team. His actions have left colleagues and the community deeply shaken. Police wellness teams are now offering support to his family and fellow officers.
The tragedy has stirred painful questions in Mamelodi and beyond—about violence within families, the strain carried by frontline officers, and the devastating consequences when personal struggles and firearms collide.