Eastern Cape man butchers four family members with axe

Police in the Eastern Cape have managed to track down and arrest an alleged axe murderer, but not before he killed four family members on Thursday, 30 March 2023.

According to police reports, the tragedy unfolded late in the evening in a family homestead in the small town of Lusikisiki.

Police spokesperson, Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana, said the suspect – who is a 24-year-old man – was in his room when he allegedly decided to pick up an axe and go on a hunt for his other family members.

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Kinana said the suspect found them in another room and “butched them with the axe”.

The deceased are between the ages of 5 and 69. Kinana said that four family members died on the scene, however, one was able to escape.

One person escapes

Kinana went on to confirm that there was one family member who witnessed the massacre and still managed to escape.

“The family member then alert other local community members to what was happening and they immediately called the police.”

Kinana said that the motive for the killings was not known at this stage, however, police investigating a case of murder.

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“The suspect was immediately arrested in the same village, and the axe which is believed to have been used in the commission of this offence was recovered and confiscated by the police.

“The identities of the deceased are Nomantombi Nobanda (69), Thembinkosi Nobanda (42), Nomhayaya Phatekile (38) and Olwande Phatekile (5),” he said.  

Kinana said the suspect is expected to appear in the Lusikisiki Magistrate’s Court on 31 March 2023.

According to Kinana, the suspect was not known to have had a mental disability that might have caused him to react the way he did, but said it was still too early into the investigation to confirm this.