A 44-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder after a female security guard at the University of Limpopo was bludgeoned with a hammer while on duty on Saturday, 12 September 2026. The victim, whose name police have not released, was rushed to Mankweng Hospital where she died from her injuries. The suspect, alleged to be the victim’s boyfriend, abandoned his vehicle and tried to flee on foot but was captured by a group of students who witnessed the aftermath of the attack and chased him down.
Limpopo Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Jan Scheepers confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Sunday. He said the attack happened at the university’s main campus. Students who saw the man strike the guard then speed away in a car gave chase. When the suspect realised he could not shake them, he dumped the vehicle and ran. The students caught him and held him until police arrived. Cape Flats News independently verified the police account with Limpopo SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, who said the weapon, a builder’s hammer, was recovered near the scene.
“This is a painful reminder of the devastating consequences of violence against women,” said Lt-Gen Scheepers.
As first reported by Sowetan, the relationship between the suspect and the victim was well known to some university staff. A colleague who spoke on condition of anonymity said the pair had argued at the campus earlier in the week. That claim remains unverified. Brigadier Mashaba told Cape Flats News that detectives are treating a possible domestic dispute as a line of enquiry. The suspect has not yet entered a plea.
The victim was alone at a campus access point when she was attacked, a security supervisor told a Cape Flats News journalist who visited the campus on Sunday. She had started her shift at 18:00. The quick actions of the students have drawn praise from university management and the student representative council. One second-year student who joined the pursuit described the chaotic moments. “We just ran after the car. We knew something bad had happened. He almost hit a fence when he stopped the car, then he jumped out and tried to run into the bush. We didn’t think, we just grabbed him,” the student said. Police have withheld his identity for safety reasons.
“The police will conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that justice is served,” Lt-Gen Scheepers added.
The University of Limpopo has not yet issued a formal statement, and classes continued on Monday. The victim’s family has been informed. Counsellors are being made available to colleagues and students who witnessed the violence. The Security Industry Authority said it would press for a review of safety protocols at campus-based contracts, citing a 12% national increase in attacks on security officers recorded in SAPS quarterly crime statistics for 2025/26. Female guards in lone-working settings are disproportionately affected, according to the authority.
What remains unclear is whether the suspect will apply for bail. The Mankweng Magistrate’s Court is expected to set a date for a first appearance later this week. Cape Flats News will update this report as more information becomes available from police investigators and the court roll.