Man shoots 'robber', kills wife

2008-01-03 09:16

Annelene Moses

Johannesburg - Two women were killed on New Year's Day in separate incidents in Brits and Johannesburg, after a husband and a friend mistook them for robbers.

Both died on the scene.

Zacharias Petrus Kruger, 67, was hospitalised after he apparently shot his wife Anna Carolina Kruger, 64, at about 01:00 in the bedroom of their Sanddrift home.

His wife apparently got up during the night to go to the bathroom. On her way back to bed, she looked out the window to see why the dogs were barking.

Kruger woke up and saw someone standing at the window and shot at it, said Superintendent Lesego Metsi.

Kruger slept with his revolver under his pillow after several recent burglaries at their home.

In another incident, Martha Moeketsi, 51, from Northriding, died after a friend and neighbour fired two shots at her.

Police spokesperson Karen Jacobs said Moeketsi called her friend because she could hear someone trying to get into her front door.

Moeketsi was trapped on the top floor of her duplex and from her balcony, climbed over to her neighbour. A panic-stricken Moeketsi started pulling at her friend's security gate on the balcony when her friend fired the shots.

Blessmore Tshabalala, owner of Poland Security Services, said his guards heard a woman screaming hysterically and investigated. He said no shots were heard as fireworks were exploding everywhere.

At his arrival, Moeketsi lay on the balcony with a single shot between her eyes.

"Her friend was beside herself and paramedics had to calm her down. It is so sad, because even though she was white and the deceased was black, they were the best of friends."

He added that the complex had suffered several break-ins lately.

The deceased's friend was not taken into custody.

A murder dossier had been opened but a Randburg magistrate changed the charge to manslaughter.

Kruger was arrested on a charge of murder and held briefly, but later taken to hospital.

- Beeld