Suspected murder-suicide in the outskirts of Serowe
Pini Bothoko | Wednesday August 6, 2025 12:00
The deceased have been identified as a 23-year-old woman from Sokwe Ward and her 32-year-old boyfriend from Mokwena Ward, both residents of Serowe. According to police, the couple was last seen together on Friday at the man’s home, where they reportedly had a heated argument.
Serowe Police Station commander, Superintendent Poloko Oteng, told The Monitor that the boyfriend had accused his partner of infidelity during their last public appearance. He said the two left for the lands on Saturday morning, but concern grew later in the day when their mobile phones were unreachable.
“One of the boyfriend’s relatives became worried and decided to follow them to the lands. Upon arrival, he was shocked to find the woman lying motionless on the ground whilst the man was found hanging from a tree not far from her. He immediately reported the matter to the police,” Oteng said.
The woman had a deep wound on her neck, leading investigators to suspect that she was murdered by her boyfriend before he took his own life. The bodies were transported to Sekgoma Memorial Hospital, where they were both certified dead on arrival.
Meanwhile, Oteng expressed concern over the increasing number of murder cases in the area, most of which stem from domestic and interpersonal disputes.
“We are overwhelmed with murder cases that begin as petty arguments. So far this year alone, we have recorded 10 murder cases,” he revealed.
He said most of the cases involve intimate partners or disputes between men over beer, which escalate into fatal confrontations.
“It appears our society is angry. People are fighting over minor issues that should be resolved peacefully. We are now shifting our approach by conducting house-to-house campaigns to educate the public on peaceful conflict resolution and the dangers of violence,” Oteng said.
Whilst police have been holding community outreach meetings, the continued rise in violent crimes has prompted law enforcement to take a more direct and personal approach.
Oteng appealed to the public to seek non-violent means of addressing disputes and to make use of available counselling and support services.