Image: for illustration purposes only
A 71-year-old man has been arrested for murder following a dispute over access to water in Mpumalanga.
The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon, 8 February, in Sundra near Delmas when an argument between two men sharing the same residential property escalated tragically. Police reports indicate that ongoing water shortages had led the landlord to install a JoJo tank fitted with a pressure pump for use during municipal water outages.
It is alleged that the deceased, a 33-year-old man, attempted to access the tank by switching on the pump located in a garage on the suspect’s side of the property. When access was refused, the deceased allegedly forced his way to the tap, at which point the suspect is accused of shooting him at close range, striking him in the left eye and fatally wounding him.
The deceased’s wife reportedly attempted to reach her husband but was threatened by the suspect, who allegedly warned that she would also be shot. She fled the scene unharmed.
Tensions escalated shortly after the incident, with more than 100 community members gathering and reportedly threatening to kill the suspect and set the house alight. Police intervened swiftly and arrested the suspect at the scene.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Delmas Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, facing a charge of murder.