SOUTH AFRICA – A 54-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a plot to kill his ex-wife, 42.

The suspect, who cannot be named until he appears in court on Thursday, is alleged to have hired a 39-year-old woman to kill his former wife.

He apparently told the woman that she could choose between shooting her, dousing her with acid or giving her a lethal injection.

According to the Hawks in Mpumalanga, the man, who works at a mine in Secunda, was arrested after the hired woman alerted the victim with proof of voice recording allegedly between her and her ex-husband.

The man was arrested on Tuesday and was found in possession of a firearm after he phoned the hitwoman, saying he was on his way to kill his ex-wife himself.

“The arrest followed allegations that the suspect had hired the woman to assist him with the planned plot. The man had allegedly told the woman that he will arrange a firearm for her or that she could use acid which he will organise from the mine where he is working. The other alternative plan was to give her the spare keys to his ex-wife’s house so she could give her a lethal injection while she slept,” said Hawks spokesperson Capt Dineo Sekgotodi.

Sekgotodi said the woman traced the man’s ex-wife through social media.

“The woman located her and arranged a meeting with her at Embalenhle. Upon meeting, the [would-be] co-conspirator explained the plot to her and also shared with her the voice note clips which she had recorded during her interaction with the suspect. The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation in Secunda and an inquiry was registered, hence the arrest,” said Sekgotodi.

The accused was expected to appear in the Secunda magistrate’s court on Thursday on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder.