Man arrested after stabbing five family members to death in KZN

Police in Bergville have arrested a 33-year-old man just hours after a brutal attack that left five family members dead and two others injured in the Bethany area on Saturday night.

The swift arrest followed an intelligence-driven operation led by the Station Commander, allowing authorities to quickly locate and apprehend the suspect. According to the SAPS, the suspect and his uncle had visited a neighbor earlier that evening. Upon their return, the suspect found his mother sitting in the lounge with several others.

Reports indicate that the suspect retrieved a knife from the couch and attacked his mother, who managed to escape the house despite sustaining injuries. The suspect then turned on his uncle, who was fatally stabbed as he tried to flee. The violence continued as the suspect killed two young girls, aged two and six.

“The bloodthirsty suspect also stabbed and killed a disabled woman and an elderly woman who was visiting the home,” said police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda. The suspect’s mother and a four-year-old girl survived but suffered multiple stab wounds.

Netshiunda added that the suspect’s sister managed to escape with her one-year-old baby. Authorities are still working to verify the ages of some of the victims.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the suspect had several previous cases of domestic violence reported against him, although all were later withdrawn voluntarily.

The suspect is scheduled to appear in the Bergville Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, facing five counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.