NELSPRUIT – Police are investigating a 20-year-old man on charges of murder.
The suspect, who was handed over to the police by his aunt, confessed to committing all the murders. On Wednesday, the Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thulani Ntobela reported that two elderly women, Anna Honyeni (75) and Petasi Madlazi (82), were found hacked to death in their house at Mkhuhlu Township near Hazyview.
Their bodies were discovered by their neighbour who then sounded the alarm.
This incident sent shock waves and haunted many as the person behind this act, defined as unpalatable and barbaric was not apprehended.
Whilst the community was still shocked about the death of the two senior citizens, another horrifying event took place in the same area, wherein a 58-year-old nursing sister, Ms Msesi Tibane, who was the Head of the Calcutta Clinic, was attacked by an unknown assailant in her house. She was raped, throttled, her head shattered with a hammer and her house set alight.
In another separate horrible incident, which took place on the early hours of Saturday, a 16-year-old girl was found killed and her body abandoned on the street. General Ntobela described these acts as horrendous and perpetuated by heartless individuals who have no respect for human life. He instructed the management of Calcutta police station to track down those responsible.
During his confession, the suspect told the police that he pretended to accompany the 16-year-old girl to her parents home and on the way he forcefully raped her and smashed her head with block brick.
The young man was charged with murder and appeared in court on Monday for the murder charge of Honyeni and Madlazi.He was remanded in custody until Wednesday,where he is expected to stand accused for the murder of Tibane and the 16-year-old girl.
“We really do not know what drove this young man to commit such terrifying, senseless and abhorrent acts, however, I want to extend my words of appreciation to the family of the suspect. We will await for the law to take its course”, concluded the Provincial Commissioner.
