Police Officer Kills Nephew After Learning Child He's Been Raising is His Brother's

A 32-year-old police constable has died shortly after killing his nephew over the results of a DNA test
Mashego held his mother and nephew hostage for 16 hours after learning the child he had been raising was not biologically his, but his older brother’s
He reportedly accused his mother of knowing about the affair and the child’s true paternity, yet keeping it hidden from him

A quiet neighbourhood turned into a scene of horror when a 32-year-old police constable, Thapelo Mashego, held his mother and nephew hostage for 16 hours before a deadly ending that has left a family and community shattered.

Police Officer Kills Nephew, Dies After Learning Child He’s Been Raising is His Brother’s Source: UGC

What began as a domestic dispute inside a family home spiralled into tragedy after Mashego allegedly discovered that the child he had been raising with his girlfriend was not biologically his, but his older brother’s.

According to Eyewitness News, Mashego’s discovery cut deep, igniting feelings of betrayal that spread beyond his relationship.

He reportedly accused his mother of knowing about the affair and the child’s true paternity, yet keeping it hidden from him.

“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,” recalled his uncle, Steve Mphela.

He said he first learned about the hostage drama through a phone call from Mashego’s older brother, who sounded panicked.

Negotiators managed to secure the release of Mashego’s mother during the standoff, but their relief was short-lived.

By the time police entered the house, his 18-year-old nephew lay dead from gunshot wounds. Mashego is believed to have turned the gun on himself shortly afterwards.

Neighbours who watched the tense standoff unfold from behind police barricades struggled to reconcile the image of Mashego, a disciplined officer, with the man who unleashed violence on his own kin.

National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has urged officers to seek support through the police’s in-house health and wellness services, acknowledging the toll that personal and professional pressures can take.

For now, the Mashego family is left to bury two young lives while coming to terms with the devastating consequences of a truth that surfaced too late.