MPUMALANGA police are baffled by the increasing number of axe attacks, including one on a woman killed by a neighbour's son this week in Mayflower.
Captain Leonard Hlathi said a 48-year-old woman was stabbed twice and then hacked twice, which split open her head, by a neighbour's 35-year-old son on Tuesday.
Hlathi said the man confronted the woman in the street at about 5pm and accused her of "being on his case".
The man allegedly drew a knife and stabbed her twice in the back.
"When she fell her attacker rushed home and returned with an axe.
"He allegedly hit her over the head twice, splitting it in two and scattering her brain over the ground," Hlathi said.
The man fled the scene.
Also on Tuesday, about five hours after the first incident, a 30-year-old man wanted for armed robbery, rape and attempted murder was hacked with an axe and injured during a house robbery.
Hlathi said the man, armed with a handgun, allegedly broke into a house, held up a woman and demanded cash.
The woman's husband sneaked out through a window and sought help from neighbours.
A short while later he sneaked back into the house and attacked the gunman from behind with an axe, hitting him over the head.
Hlathi said the police found airtime vouchers in the gunman's possession that were stolen during a robbery at a local store earlier.
The gunman is under police guard in hospital.
Neighbour hacks woman to deat h
MPUMALANGA police are baffled by the increasing number of axe attacks, including one on a woman killed by a neighbour's son this week in Mayflower.
Captain Leonard Hlathi said a 48-year-old woman was stabbed twice and then hacked twice, which split open her head, by a neighbour's 35-year-old son on Tuesday.
Hlathi said the man confronted the woman in the street at about 5pm and accused her of "being on his case".
The man allegedly drew a knife and stabbed her twice in the back.
"When she fell her attacker rushed home and returned with an axe.
"He allegedly hit her over the head twice, splitting it in two and scattering her brain over the ground," Hlathi said.
The man fled the scene.
Also on Tuesday, about five hours after the first incident, a 30-year-old man wanted for armed robbery, rape and attempted murder was hacked with an axe and injured during a house robbery.
Hlathi said the man, armed with a handgun, allegedly broke into a house, held up a woman and demanded cash.
The woman's husband sneaked out through a window and sought help from neighbours.
A short while later he sneaked back into the house and attacked the gunman from behind with an axe, hitting him over the head.
Hlathi said the police found airtime vouchers in the gunman's possession that were stolen during a robbery at a local store earlier.
The gunman is under police guard in hospital.