Couple perishes in suspected 'passion killing' crash
Pini Bothoko | Wednesday February 4, 2026 09:35
The deceased, a 30-year-old man from Palapye and his 27-year-old girlfriend of Pilane, died on the spot after the vehicle they were travelling in collided with a horse and a trailer truck.
The crash happened near Bonwapitse Bridge, which is about 20 kilometres from Mahalapye.
Mahalapye Police Station commander, Superintendent Ntoko Simane, told The Monitor the accident occurred on Saturday between 11am and noon along the A1 Highway.
“We suspect that the couple had a misunderstanding which led to a passion killing incident,” he said.
Simane explained that the couple was travelling in a Toyota Fortuner belonging to a company where the woman was employed.
At the time of the accident, the vehicle was driven by her boyfriend.
“Preliminary investigations have established that the vehicle was not attempting to overtake nor avoiding any obstruction at the time of the accident, hence the strong suspicion that this was a passion killing incident,” he added.
According to the police, the couple was travelling from north to south when their vehicle collided with a horse trailer truck heading north.
Both occupants of the Toyota Fortuner were certified dead upon arrival at Mahalapye Hospital.
“The truck driver escaped the accident uninjured. Police investigations into the matter are ongoing,” Simane said.