Mamelodi hostage drama: Family secret about child’s paternity allegedly the cause

JOHANNESBURG - A family secret around the paternity of a child is allegedly at the centre of a deadly hostage situation in Pretoria.

On Tuesday, A 32-year-old police constable, Thapelo Mashego, held his mother and nephew hostage for 16 hours in their Mamelodi home, east of Pretoria.

He later released his mother to police negotiators, but it seemed he shot and killed his 18-year-old nephew judging by bullet wound on his body and then turned the gun on himself.

Mashego’s uncle, Steve Mphela, said he received a call from Mashego’s older brother on Tuesday morning, informing him that the constable is holding his mother and nephew hostage.

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Mphela said he called his nephew to find out what was going on.

“I don't know if it was a secret or something, but he said he found out that the child he has with his girlfriend is not his - but is his brother's.”

Mashego also claimed that his mother, whom he had held hostage for 16 hours, knew about the affair that his brother was having with his girlfriend and the true paternity of the child, but chose to keep it a secret.

Meanwhile, the national Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has urged all police officers to make use of in-house employee health and wellness services.

This video above was produced by EWN's Kayleen Morgan.