By tf-lawyer.com On October 16, the South African Police Service announced via social media platform X that they had arrested three suspects in KwaZulu-Natal Province early that morning. This brings to a total of four individuals apprehended in connection with a case that resulted in the deaths of 18 people.
The tragic incident occurred on the evening of September 27 in the outskirts of Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape Province, where victims were shot in two homes within the same community. Four people were killed in one house, while 13 lost their lives in the other; another victim succumbed to injuries in the hospital. Remarkably, a two-month-old infant survived the attack.
A spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal police stated that after receiving a tip-off, officers acted swiftly to detain three suspects, aged 22, 24, and 31, in an informal settlement in Port Shepstone. This location is in a province adjacent to the crime scene, approximately a 3.5-hour drive away.
The previously arrested suspect, 45-year-old Siphosoxolo Myekethe, appeared in Lusikisiki Magistrate’s Court on October 15, opting not to seek bail. Prosecutors have not disclosed a motive for the murders. Myekethe had previously been paroled after serving time for the murder of a police officer during a robbery in 2000. He now faces 18 counts of murder and one count of possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Authorities are still searching for the firearms used in these murders.
According to the Associated Press, South Africa is one of the countries with the highest homicide rates in the world. Statistics from the South African Police indicate that over 12,000 homicides were reported in the first half of this year, averaging about 67 incidents per day.
