Three arrested after seven family members killed in KwaZulu-Natal

Suspects allegedly abducted victims from their home, forced banking details from three before killing all seven.

Three men were arrested in connection with the abduction and murder of seven family members in KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal, police said on Thursday¹². The victims, aged between 20 and 83, were taken from a house in Newtown, Newark on Tuesday and killed in Melmoth, approximately 200 kilometres away¹².

A domestic helper who arrived at work on Wednesday found the house broken into and the family missing, along with a vehicle, and alerted police¹. Investigators arrested two suspects in the Hlomendlini area on Wednesday afternoon, one of whom was found with a cellphone belonging to one of the victims¹. A third suspect was arrested in the Dendetu area in Sundumbili and found in possession of a firearm and 11 cellphones¹².

Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said one of the suspects had been employed by the victims¹². The suspects allegedly broke into the house, tied up the victims with rope, and one suspect raped a 20-year-old woman before loading all seven victims onto a vehicle belonging to one of them¹². After driving to Melmoth, the same suspect allegedly raped the woman again before the group demanded banking details and personal identification numbers from three victims². Three victims were shot to death and four were stabbed to death².

Several bank transfers were made from the victims' accounts on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, police said². Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said the case was concerning because one suspect worked for the family¹. "We are urging employers to do background checks on all the people they employ and also study their suspicious behaviour," he said¹.

The three suspects are expected to appear in court on Friday¹.