News24 | UPDATE | SANDF soldier stabs colleague, and then himself, to death

A SANDF soldier stabbed two colleagues to death before trying to take his own life at the Macadamia Military Base near Komatipoort, Mpumalanga.

A member of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) who stabbed two of his fellow soliders, killing one of them, has died after stabbing himself in the neck during the incident.

SANDF spokesperson Prince Tshabalala said the soldier had just been withdrawn from duty.

Many of the soldiers at the Macadamia Military Base near Komatipoort, Mpumalanga - where the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning - help protect SA’s borders through Operation Corona.

Tshabalala told News24 that after he was withdrawn from service, the soldier began attacking his colleagues, stabbing two of them. One of the soldiers died, while the other had since been discharged from hospital, he added.

When his colleagues entered the bungalow and tried to arrest him, the soldier stabbed himself in the neck. He was taken to hospital where he died, Tshabalala said.

He added that that the police and SANDF would be investigating the incident.

“The SANDF expresses its deepest condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the deceased members. This is a deeply painful moment for the organisation and the military community at large.”

Tshabalala urged the public and media to allow the investigation to proceed without speculation and to respect the privacy of the affected families.

He added that military health officials and chaplain services were deployed to support affected members.

Editors note: The SA National Defence Force asked the media to correct their previous statement that stated three soldiers were killed in a murder-suicide shooting. It has since been clarified that one soldier stabbed, not shot, the two individuals and then survived a suicide attempt. The story was further updated to reflect the death of the alleged offending soldier.