Lusikisiki mass shooting: Another suspect arrested

Police have confirmed that a 46-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the Lusikisiki mass shooting in the Eastern Cape last month.

The man was arrested on Thursday.

This brings to seven the number of people that have been arrested for the mass shooting which left 18 people dead in the Eastern Cape.

Charges

Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said the suspect is expected to appear in the Lusikisiki Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

“The 46-year-old suspect has been charged for 18 counts of murder on the Lusikisiki mass shooting.”

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Court appearance

Last week, two suspects arrested in connection with the massacre joined their co-accused in a different court.

Zenande Paya, 38, and Mawethu Nomdlembu, 36, made their first appearance at the Flagstaff Magistrate’s Court on Monday after being apprehended on Friday.

Authorities discovered Paya and Nomdlembu in possession of four firearms believed to have been used in the Lusikisiki mass shooting.

The suspects face multiple charges, including four counts of unlawful possession of firearms — three AK-47 assault rifles and a Steyr 243 rifle — along with 82 live rounds of ammunition.

Bail

Earlier this month, three suspects – Aphiwe Ndende, 25, Lwando Anthony Abi, 33, and Bongo Hintsa, 31 – abandoned their bail applications in the Lusikisiki Magistrate’s Court.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Ndende and Hintsa were arrested in Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), while Abi was apprehended in East London last Wednesday.

The first accused, Siphosoxolo Myekethe, 45, was arrested at his home in Mthimde, Lusikisiki, on 7 October.

Mass shooting

The two shooting incidents occurred on 28 September 2024 at two neighbouring homesteads in Ngobozana Village near the town of Lusikisiki, where 18 people were killed, and five others were injured.

Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa

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