A mother and her two sons, aged 10 and seven, were brutally hacked to death and her granddaughter, 6, was seriously injured by unknown assailants in their Newtown, Kotishini home near Mthatha yesterday.
The little girl was rushed to hospital and is fighting for her life.
Mthatha police spokeswoman Captain Dineo Koena said the brutal slayings occurred at about 5am yesterday.
“Their dead and badly wounded bodies were found lying in a pool of blood by a neighbour who heard a cry from the homestead and alerted police. It is believed the killers broke the door down. The motive for the killing is not known and no arrests have yet been made,” said Koena.
The bodies featured multiple large, deep wounds, suggesting they were hacked with a sharp object and the children appeared to have been asleep in bed when attacked.
It is believed the man of the house was not home at the time as he was attending an overnight church service.
“We urge anyone with information to contact Detective Captain Thandaza Mshumi on 082-442-0585 or to contact our Crime Stop Line on 08600-10111. Confidentiality is guaranteed,” Koena said.
Police provincial commissioner Lieutenant- General Liziwe Ntshinga condemned the killing.
“I have activated a multi-disciplinary task team comprising of experienced detectives . . . to investigate this attack.
“We will not rest until we have tracked down these heartless criminals and brought them to book.”
lA Ngqamakhwe mother died in a frantic effort to rescue her daughter, 3, from their burning house on Friday.
“She apparently left her four children at home to go and buy groceries from a shop on Thursday, at about 6.30pm at Merelisa locality, Thoboyi village near Ngqamakhwe. It is alleged that she was informed by one of her children that the house was on fire. Unfortunately the toddler was inside the house. She rushed back and went inside the burning house trying to rescue the child. Unfortunately both of them died in the fire,” said Butterworth police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha.
The cause of the fire was unknown, he added. The identities of both are being withheld until their next of kin are informed.
Butterworth cluster commander, Brigadier Ngangema Xakavu said Ngqamakhwe police had opened an inquest docket.
lWillowvale police arrested a man, 69, with an unlicensed self-made hunting rifle with three rounds of ammunition.
He was arrested on Saturday at about 3pm at Komkhulu Dumalisile village near Willowvale.
He is due in the Willowvale magistrate’s court today...