A man accused of stabbing to death a 36-year-old woman who had come to collect her money, allegedly tried to kill himself after the incident.

The 40-year-old man, who cannot be named as he is yet to be formally charged, is fighting for his life in an unnamed hospital under police guard.

He allegedly stabbed Nkgala Montsi in Sebokeng, Vaal, South Africa on Monday after she visited him to collect an undisclosed amount of money he owed her.

The suspect’s brother yesterday said that his brother attempted to take his own life after the murder.

“The house had blood everywhere, we even had to take out the couch on which the lady had been seated when the attack happened,” he said.

He said when the family walked into the house, they found an iron hanging by its cord from the ceiling.

“The police told us that he had to be taken to hospital because he ingested a sanitiser or poison or something like that. That’s why he is in ICU right now. We are not sure but we think he wanted to kill himself. When the police arrived on the scene he challenged them to shoot him in the head and refused to allow them into the house,” he said.

The suspect is said to have called Montsi to his mother’s house, which is in the same vicinity as the woman’s marital home, with the intention of paying the money he owed her. But things took a violent turn when he allegedly stabbed her numerous times.

“He first invited our mother to his house. He then left her there and went to her [the mother’s] house instead, where the incident happened.

“He called this lady knowing there was nobody there. So, we don’t know what happened between them.”

He said that his brother and the deceased knew each other since they were children because they lived and grew up in the same area. “He was a quiet guy and never mentioned to us [that he owed] her. So, we don’t know anything about this.”

Capt Mavela Masondo said the suspect was arrested on the day of the incident and was expected to appear in court soon.

According to a community member, Montsi was accompanied by her 14-year-old son, but the suspect sent him to a spaza shop in the area before the attack.

Montsi’s husband, Lefa Montsi, 40, said he felt his heart sink to his stomach when he saw his wife’s lifeless body lying on the couch.

“We were together for 18 years and had been married since 2015. I cannot understand what could have led to this guy [allegedly] killing my wife,” he said.

He said he was aware of the debt owed to his wife by the suspect since January.