An Eastern Cape man was taken into custody after fatally stabbing his mother, sister, and a 97-year-old neighbour.
The brutal murders have rocked the rural community of Nqayimbana in Siphaqeni, Flagstaff, which is still reeling in shock.
According to police spokesperson Captain Welile Matyolo, the 24-year-old man killed his family members, including his sister (20), his mother (50), and an elderly woman who is not his relative.
The mother and sister passed away on Monday due to their wounds, according to Matyolo.
Survivor fighting for his life in hospital
Following the stabbing of his family members, the man went to a nearby homestead and fatally stabbed a 97-year-old woman who was thought to be his mother’s boyfriend’s mother.
The fourth victim, a man, is in the hospital, fighting for his life.
“The 47-year-old male victim, believed to be the boyfriend of the suspect’s mother, survived the ordeal as he was rushed to a nearby hospital and is in a critical but stable condition,” said Matyolo.
It is anticipated that the male suspect, who was taken into custody in relation to the killings, will soon appear in the Flagstaff Magistrate’s Court.
Thandiwe Mzekandlela, a local who was on the scene, called the aftermath “devastating”.
“It was chaos; people were screaming, and we couldn’t believe such a tragedy could happen here. This is the first time that something of this nature happened in the area,” according to Mzekandlela.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the motive behind the killings.
While the investigation is ongoing, authorities encourage anyone with additional information to get in touch with the Flagstaff police.
Foreign-owned spaza shops blamed
According to Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana, a traditional leader and the provincial chairperson of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa in the Eastern Cape, these incidents continue because of local taverns and spaza shops that are allegedly involved in drug sales.
“The government has disarmed us of our power to lead and rule in these areas that we are serving in,” said Nonkonyana.
“The foreign-owned taverns and spaza shops, which sell drugs to our children, are the source of our most violent young men.”
In May, Sunday World reported that two St Elizabeth Hospital employees in Lusikisiki, 30 minutes away from Flagstaff, were shot and killed at their residence.
The couple, a professional nurse and a deputy director at St Elizabeth Hospital, lost their lives at their homestead in Parlmerton village.
Eastern Cape health MEC Ntandokazi Capa said at the time that the incident was gravely concerning.
READ MORE: Two Eastern Cape health staff members killed at their home
