Nurse dies in murder-suicide
HEALTH MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo has sent his deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of a nurse from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital who was fatally shot, allegedly by her husband, at their Palmview, Phoenix, home on Sunday evening.
He said it was with “great sadness and shock” that they heard of 34-yearold Sister Barbara Haines’s death.
“We urge once more that there should be a better way to handle domestic disputes without causing harm and eventually killing a partner. We are saddened by this great loss of such a young, dedicated and hard-working nurse and we pray and ask for the family to be supported through prayers,” said Dhlomo.
According to private security company Reaction Unit South Africa, several calls were received from residents in the Phoenix, reporting that shots had been fired on the property.
Prem Balram said on arrival, Haines’s body was found lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen of an outbuilding.
“She had sustained a bullet wound to the head. The body of her husband (Zane Smith) was found in the passage. He had also sustained a bullet wound to the head.”
It is alleged that Smith shot Haines and then himself during a domestic dispute.
The couple’s children, aged 7 and 2, were in the home at the time, but were unharmed.
They have since moved in with relatives.
According to the provincial Health Department, Haines started working at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in 2010 in the Mental Health Care Unit. She had a diploma in Nursing (General, Psychiatric and Community) and Midwifery, which she obtained in 2009. She attended Edendale Nursing Campus from 2005 to 2009.
The MEC urged men to protect their families and to handle disagreements in a proper manner.
The motive behind the shooting is still unknown.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane said a case of murder and an inquest docket were opened at the Phoenix police station.
“A 9mm pistol was found next to the bodies. The circumstances surrounding their killing are under investigation.”
Residents have described the couple as friendly. “He (Zane) was always smiling. We are still in shock,” said one resident. Another described Barbara as timid. “They were a nice family, very loving to their children. I heard them arguing but I did not think it would lead to their deaths.”