Man arrested in Mpumalanga for triple murder, rape

Police have arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with a triple murder in Mpumalanga.

The man is accused of kidnapping a 35-year-old woman in Siyabuswa, near KwaMhlanga, on Tuesday evening.

Armed with a knife, he allegedly demanded cash from her. When she said she didn’t have any money, he took her cellphone, forced her into bushes and made her drink an unknown substance, police said.

He then went to her house.

“Upon arrival, the man then pounced on the woman’s family members, stabbing a 41-year-old man (the woman’s brother), her two children, a 5-year-old-girl, an 8-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl who was a visitor,” police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli said in a statement.

The man is also accused of raping the 5-year-old girl and setting the house alight before fleeing.

“When the woman finally made it home [during the early hours of Wednesday morning], she was met with a terrifying experience where her loved ones were brutally attacked,” Mdhluli said.

Police and paramedics were notified and once on [the] scene, found that the woman’s brother, her 8-year-old son and the 11-year-old visitor had succumbed to their injuries.

The survivors, including her 5-year-old daughter were rushed to hospital and are fighting for their lives after they sustained serious stab wounds, Mdhluli added.

A manhunt ensued and the man was eventually arrested. Police also recovered a cellphone, which they believe to belong to the woman, and seized bloodstained clothing from the man.

He is expected to appear in the Mdutjana Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on three counts of murder, as well as charges of rape, attempted murder, kidnapping and arson.

“The police management in Mpumalanga, condemned the violent incident displayed by this man. However, [they] applauded the cooperation displayed between members of the public and the police, which led to [the] swift arrest of the suspect,” Mdhluli said.

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