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News - Date: 05 March 2004
MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – The MEC for Safety and Security this week strongly condemned police negligence in the Stanley Rangata domestic violence tragedy in Muduluni.
Rangata, who acted as senior court interpreter at the local Magistrate's Court, killed almost his entire family with a firearm, which, according to a police report, was twice within the possession of the police and twice handed back to him by the police.
According to a police statement, Rangata (58) first killed his wife, Lulu (56), a primary school teacher, and their handicapped son, Kgati (28), before turning the gun on himself and committing suicide with his pistol on February 20.
According to a police statement, the pistol was first confiscated last year, after Mrs Rangata had obtained a restraining order against her husband on charges of domestic violence. The firearm was later returned to Rangata.
The pistol was once again in the hands of the police when Rangata was arrested on charges of contravening the restraining order. On his arrest, his vehicle and firearm were taken for safe keeping by the police. Both were handed back to him, when he was released from detention, after the withdrawal of certain charges.
The spokesperson for the Office of the MEC, Mr Katu Sadiki, said the MEC strongly condemned the fact that the police did not follow the procedure prescribed by the law in their handling of the Rangata case.
Sections 11 and 12 of the Firearm Licensing Act require a full police investigation into the fitness of a licensed person to possess or control a firearm, if such a fire- arm is confiscated on charges of domestic violence.
"Given Mr Rangata's record of domestic violence and the known history of his physical harassment of Ms Rangata both at her home and at her workplace, the police should have intervened to keep the firearm out of his hands. If the police acted according to the provisions of Sections 11 and 12 of the Act, we believe this tragedy would not have taken place," Mr Sadiki said.
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