Mass murder suspect arrested in KZN

A man suspected of killing nine people in 2021 was arrested in Melmoth, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), on Wednesday night.

The suspect has been on the run since a mass shooting on 16 October 2021.

Nine people shot in Sydenham

Police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said nine people were killed in two separate shootings at Palmiet Road Informal Settlement in Sydenham.

In the first incident, six people were shot and killed at a house. Shortly afterwards, the same suspects allegedly killed three more people nearby.

“The matter was referred to the murder and robbery unit for investigation. Two suspects were identified and police pursued them. One of them was traced and found in Empangeni, however, he resisted arrest and was shot and fatally wounded in a shootout with police,” said Netshiunda.

He said although the second suspect remained on the loose, police found him “hiding” in the Obuka area in Melmoth, where he was “cornered and arrested”.

The suspect will appear at the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 25 September 2026. He has been charged with multiple counts of murder.

KwaMakhutha mass murder

The arrest comes after another mass murder in KZN this week.

Police on Wednesday launched a manhunt after 11 people were killed and three others injured in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban.

The shooting occurred when armed suspects stormed a house on Tuesday night and opened fire.

While a motive for the shooting has not yet been established, it is suspected that it might be “a feud between rival groupings”.

Netshiunda said the same murder and robbery unit is investigating the mass shooting in KwaMakhutha.

“Detectives are following several leads and it is a matter of time before the suspects are arrested,” he said.