Love triangle jealousy turns deadly: 59-year-old kills girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend in Eastern Cape

A night of drinking at a homestead in Qumbu’s Mthozela locality turned fatal after a jealous man found his elderly girlfriend with another man. A 78-year-old man was killed at his homestead in Mthozela on Friday, 03 April 2026, at around 8pm, after a 59-year-old man attacked him with a stick and stabbed him multiple times in the upper body. The suspect had arrived to find his 65-year-old girlfriend drinking with the deceased, who was reportedly her ex-boyfriend.

Police spokesperson Captain Welile Matyolo said the suspect wasted no time in turning violent. “The 59-year-old man, without any provocation, assaulted the victim with a stick and then stabbed him several times in the upper body,” Matyolo said. The victim was declared dead on the scene.

Matyolo confirmed that the suspect was arrested shortly after. The 59-year-old is due to appear before the Qumbu Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 07 April 2026, on a charge of murder. “The suspect was arrested on the scene and is due to appear before Qumbu Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 07 April 2026, to face a charge of murder,” Matyolo confirmed.

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OR Tambo District Commissioner Major General Norman Modishana condemned the killing, expressing particular concern given the ages of those involved. “It is unsettling when such heinous acts happen among the elderly,” Modishana said. “We expect the elderly to amicably resolve their issues through negotiations but not to resort to violence.”

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