A man released from Stanger prison has embarked on a bloody rampage, apparently triggered by a row over money.
|||Durban - A man released from Stanger prison on Thursday hacked two women to death and seriously injured his mother in Ndwedwe at the weekend.
He also set alight three homesteads.
He was re-arrested on Sunday morning when he surrendered to police, who had searched for him throughout Saturday night.
Relatives said his bloody rampage was triggered by a fight over stolen money.
He was released from jail after serving less than half of a six-month sentence for two assaults committed in 2008 and 2011.
The victims were his girlfriend Sbongile Ngidi, 20, who was the mother of his two-year-old son, Samkelo; his aunt Dudu Khoza, 52; and his mother, Nontethelelo Khoza, 44, who is in Appelsbosch Hospital.
Relatives said the attack happened when his mother and girlfriend ganged up on him and accused him of stealing money from them. He was seen drunk after the money disappeared. His aunt was killed when she responded to the commotion at her relative’s home.
The aunt’s daughter, Phindile Khoza, 30, said she and her mother were at home when they heard the attack at Nontethelelo’s homestead. They ran to investigate and came across the attacker, who was armed with two bush knives.
“He said to my mother, ‘I am coming for you’, and repeatedly hacked her. She fell on her face and later died,” said Khoza.
She said the suspect ran into nearby bush and lay low as the community and police searched for him. He emerged at 7pm and set a house alight before disappearing into the bush again.
“At midnight we saw another homestead burning. The third homestead was burnt at about 1am,” said Khoza.
Her father, Mzothini Khoza, said he was at home when he heard his daughter crying, “he is killing my mother”.
“I ran to investigate and I saw my nephew running into the forest. I found my wife already dead with a gash on her head.
“When I went into the boy’s homestead I found his girlfriend dead with multiple body and head wounds. His mother was also injured,” he said.
Local councillor Bright Ngcobo said community members and police searched through the night for the suspect.
“He emerged in the morning with bruises on his body, and handed himself to the police,” said Ngcobo.
Police spokesperson Vincent Mdunge said: “The suspect was arrested and will appear in the the Ndwedwe Magistrate’s Court after being charged either tomorrow or Wednesday.” - The Mercury