Story By: James King, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash

This young mum of two children has been shot dead by her husband before he told the police that he mistook her for an intruder.

Hlengiwe Masango, 30, who was the mother of a three-year-old girl and an eight-month-old baby boy, was shot dead by her 33-year-old husband Mosa Ntsibande in Norkem Park, a suburb in northern Kempton Park in South Africa’s Gauteng Province.

The shooting happened on Monday and her husband was arrested and appeared in court earlier today (Wednesday).

The victim’s family believes her death is a case of gender-based violence and wants Ntsibande prosecuted for murder.

One family member, named Sine Mhlongo, told local newspaper The Citizen: “When I arrived at the scene, we found that she had been shot twice in the chest, and he claimed he thought there was an intruder in the house.

“My cousin was fully dressed; it seems they were having an argument. He lied with this story to cover up.”

She added that every time her husband called, Masango would instantly rush home, and there were also times when she was suddenly unavailable which made them suspect she was being abused.

Local police spokesman Mavela Masondo said that the arrested man grabbed his licensed gun because he thought an intruder had broken into the house and fired two shots.

The family’s suspicion, however, seems to have been supported with a social media campaign under the hashtag #JusticeForHlengiwe gaining traction.

Disabled runner Oscar Pistorius was jailed for 15 years for murder after he shot and killed his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in Pretoria after also claiming he thought she was an intruder on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

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