Durban court shooting leaves two dead
THE woman allegedly shot dead by her estranged husband during divorce proceedings in the Durban Magistrate’s Court was described as a “loving person who had her whole life ahead of her”.
Dibuseng Moss-Chiliza, 33, was sitting with her 26-year-old brother, who was identified only as G Moss, in Regional Court O on the eighth floor yesterday when her estranged husband entered the courtroom and allegedly began firing at them.
The 32-year-old man then allegedly shot himself, but survived and is in a critical condition in hospital.
The man is a police officer employed at protection and security services in KwaMashu.
Sean Klein, a friend and colleague, said Moss-Chiliza was a mother and a loving person.
“I have just lost someone close to me and I cannot comment further. If you are going to write something, write that she had her whole life ahead of her,” Klein said.
The magistrate’s court was on lockdown yesterday after the shooting occurred during the short tea adjournment at about 11.30am.
“He walked in and fired a single gunshot aimed at the woman. Then he fired five more shots. I was there sitting a few metres from the woman. I just dropped to the floor and lay low under the benches,” said a witness who asked not to be named.
It is believed that the suspect has a 6-year-old daughter with MossChiliza and had previously attempted to obtain her new physical address from her lawyer.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said the man was under police guard in hospital and would face charges for the double murder.
Soon after the incident, a man believed to be Moss-Chiliza’s boyfriend, who had been supporting her during the proceedings, returned after the short adjournment to find the bloody scene.
While officials were working on the crime scene, the man punched a glass panel with both hands. Paramedics and police managed to restrain him and wrapped his hands in bandages.
The emotional man was then escorted by paramedics to an ambulance for treatment.
Mbhele confirmed that the divorce matter before the court was between the dead woman and the suspect.
The Department of Justice and Correctional Services said yesterday it would review its policies around off-duty police officers carrying their firearms.
The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Michael Masutha has instructed that the justice department institute an official investigation into the incident.
He said the incident was “complicated” by the fact that the suspect was a member of the SAPS who the court security officials neither knew was an affected party in a case nor had any reasonable grounds to suspect that he would be a perpetrator.