The crime intelligence officer who killed his girlfriend for cheating was finally sentenced to life imprisonment. The Gauteng South High Court in Johannesburg, sentenced 31-year-old former Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) officer ,Silas Masemola, to life for the murder of Puleng Khumalo (32). 

EXTRA MARITAL RELATIONSHIP 

Masemola and Khumalo were in an extra-marital relationship and on 04 April 2022, Masemola visited Khumalo’s matrimonial home.

Khumalo was shot in what Masemola described in his plea explanation as an accidental shot that was discharged by his firearm whilst placing it in the holster. Masemola’s supervisor testified in court that he had called him that day, stating that his girlfriend shot herself with his service pistol.

BALLISTIC EXPERT

The supervisor then alerted the ballistic experts and they rushed to the Khumalo home where evidence was gathered at the scene and it was contrary to Masemola’s version.

The ballistic expert, Lieutenant Colonel Petrus van der Merwe was adamant that Masemola’s version was unacceptable considering the safety mechanism of the firearm, as well as the fact that the force required to pull the trigger would have to be at least 3kg for the bullet to be emitted.

Junior State Advocate Mareka Maleleka relied on hearsay evidence that was admitted by the court to disprove Masemola’s version, with two of the deceased’s cousins telling the court that Khumalo told them that the accused threatened to kill her because she intended to leave him to focus on her marriage.