Bushbuckridge - "I knew he was abusive, but I never thought that he'd kill her," said a sister of a Mpumalanga teacher who was gunned down by her husband in full view of her Grade 2 learners.
Bridget Chiloane, 37, says she will never forget the image of her sister lying dead on the floor at the school after being fatally shot by her husband, who later committed suicide.
Kate Chiloane, 30, a primary school teacher from Sedibasathuto Primary School in Buskbuckridge, had just moved back to live with her family after separating with her husband.
Speaking to News24, Bridget said the couple were in the process of getting divorced, and the husband, Vusi Mdhluli, could not handle it, after being only married for a year.
"She had moved back home with us when she met her untimely death due to separation within their marriage," said Bridget.
The 32-year-old man is said to have sent threatening messages to his wife, saying that he knew he was going to die, but that he would not die alone.
"He would send lots of messages saying that he was going to die, but he would not let her live; that he would die with her," she said.
"She left too soon but it is all the same because there is nothing that can bring my sister back. Right now, I am emotionless to even hate my brother-in-law for this,’’ she said.
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School principal Jullian Mboweni said that Mdhluli fired three bullets at his wife when she tried to escape.
"I was called out to witness the argument of the two when I called them into my office to negotiate peace, and I thought that all is well but before I knew it, he pulled out a gun from his jacket while the wife ran for her life…. but it was already too late.. he shot at her with three bullets from her back," said Mboweni.
Mboweni said that they will miss her spirit of compassion, and her love for teaching.
"It looked like teaching was a calling for Kate. She was our youngest teacher at the school but she taught even us older than her the spirit of compassion," she said.
A spokesperson for the Mpumalanga Department of Education, Jasper Zwane, said that teachers and learners are currently receiving counselling.
"We will continue to offer our support until such time we will be convinced that both the learners and teachers have come to terms with what happened," said Zwane.