Esme Jood

Esme Jood

The community of Lokaleng village in Taung, near Vryburg, is reeling from shock after a local couple died in a 17-hour-long hostage drama.

The childless couple had been married for 17 years .

The incident has been described by villagers as "the most terrifying" event they had witnessed.

It happened at about 10pm on Sunday when Edward Sebego, 38, who works in Kuruman, Northern Cape, quarrelled with his wife.

Sebego had arrived at his home in Lokaleng after being phoned and told that his wife was in bed with another man at his house.

But Sebego found his wife, Mpho, 38, alone in bed .

An argument ensued and Mpho's father, Hans Mosikari, called the police.

Police officers from the Taung crime prevention unit, the detective services and the Vryburg reaction unit, as well as hostage negotiators, were at the house within minutes.

Police tried to negotiate with Sebego to release his wife.

At about 10am the next day Sebego fired three shots and shouted to the police to back off or he would kill his wife.

At about 4.10pm he shot his wife and turned the gun on himself. The couple died on the scene.