“He was really in love’: Family demands justice after Zimbabwean man murdered in Pretoria love triangle

*_In happier times … 24-year-old Liberty Shawn Wazara with girlfriend, his uncle Everton Wazara, and a friend, in Pretoria. The girlfriend’s picture is blurred because she has not been accused or charged with the brutal murder of her live-in boyfriend

Image: IOL

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A 21-year-old man was scheduled to appear before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday after allegedly stabbing to death 24-year-old Liberty Shawn Wazara during an altercation reportedly linked to a woman.

Gauteng provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo told IOL that the murder-accused 21-year-old man was arrested after handing himself over to police this week.

“The 21-year-old suspect handed himself in at the police station. He was then charged with murder. He is expected to appear before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 11 September 2025,” said Masondo.

He confirmed that the murder case was opened at Wonderboompoort police station in Pretoria, and the matter is under investigation.

Family members of the murdered victim described Shawn as a humble young man, who was deeply in love with the woman he met in Pretoria in December.

“I recall vividly that the love relationship between my cousin Shawn and her girlfriend (name withheld by IOL) started on a high. They seemed to be deeply in love with each other. I can tell you with certainty that Shawn really loved the woman and would do many things to show his love. The two quickly moved in together after they met in December,” Shawn’s uncle, Everton Wazara, spoke to IOL.

Shawn Wazara during happier times with her girlfriend.

“The two moved into an apartment in Mayville, in Pretoria. However, the woman maintained another romantic relationship with another man, who later showed up at the apartment on Saturday around midnight and (allegedly) brutally killed my cousin.

“Right now, Shawn’s mother is inconsolable since we broke the news to her. She has been crying nonstop. I do not know what I will say to my sister,” he said.

Everton said the relationship between Shawn and his girlfriend had started off promising, but cracks soon appeared.

“On Saturday, I am told Shawn visited her girlfriend’s workplace, a popular pub in Pretoria. She works as a bartender. They later went to their home, but there was an argument between the couple, with Shawn asking her where her phone was. The context is that Shawn had somehow become informed about the other boyfriend. The lady insisted she had left her phone at work,” Everton narrated.

“As the fight escalated, the girlfriend contacted her other boyfriend, who then rushed to the scene. The man rocked up on a bike, just before midnight on Saturday, and the lady went out to talk to him. The man was insisting on taking the woman away. As someone who truly loved the woman, Shawn also went out in an effort to persuade the woman, but that was when he was repeatedly stabbed. He had several deep stab wounds.”

Everton described the murder scene as “devastating”.

“Even though I knew the girlfriend well and had maintained contact with her, from the early days of the relationship, I am still asking myself why she never contacted me, as a representative of the family, to alert us that Shawn had been brutally murdered. We only became aware of the death from a Facebook post made by (socialite and Gauteng-based lawyer) Moreboys Munetsi, who was looking for family members of a murdered man.

“Right now, we are appealing for justice for Shawn. He did not deserve to be killed like an animal. For what? Some witnesses saw everything taking place. We are grateful for the work done by the South African Police Service (SAPS) detective so far, who has also been supportive in our quest for answers. We will be in court today (Thursday) so that we can come face to face with the killer,” he said.

Emmanuel Mahamba was run over by a Ford Ranger, and killed in Rivonia, Sandton, earlier this year.

In April, IOL published another story of Emmanuel Mahamba, who was brutally murdered in a horrific incident that sent shockwaves in South Africa.

In the video, widely shared on social media, Mahamba is seen seated on the road while a Ford Ranger runs over him repeatedly. He died at the scene.

In a previous update, Gauteng police said they were still searching for the motorist implicated in the brutal death of a man following a heated dispute, linked to a love triangle.

Mahamba’s murder attracted international news headlines, with many social media users expressing shock over the gratuitous violence and murder.