KwaZulu-Natal police have arrested a suspect in connection with the 2021 killing of nine people in Sydenham. The suspect was apprehended in the Obuka area of Melmoth after a four-year police manhunt. According to KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the suspect was arrested through a warrant of arrest. The arrest led to another breakthrough when investigators uncovered a second suspect allegedly linked to the mass murder.
The nine people were killed in Sydenham on October 16, 2021. Six individuals were shot and killed at a house in the Palmiet Road informal settlement, while three others were killed in two separate incidents nearby on the same day. Police said the killings were allegedly carried out by the same suspects. The case was handed over to the KZN Murder and Robbery Unit, which identified two suspects.
One suspect was traced to Empangeni, where he allegedly resisted arrest and was fatally wounded during a shootout with police. The second suspect remained on the run until detectives traced him to Obuka in Melmoth, where he was arrested. At the time of his arrest, Netshiunda said the suspect was expected to appear in the Durban Magistrates’ Court on multiple murder charges.
However, police have now noted the withdrawal of the charges and intend to work with the prosecution to have them reinstated. The police will study the court’s reasons for the withdrawal of those charges before working with prosecutors on the next steps. This development comes as police continue to investigate the case.
The investigation has also given police a new lead in the long-running case. According to Netshiunda, investigators established that another suspect believed to have been involved as a mastermind and shooter in the 2021 killings is already serving a sentence for an unrelated murder. The process to have him formally charged in connection with the Sydenham killings is under way.
The requisition process to have the second suspect formally charged is under way, and he is expected to be brought before court. Police are working to ensure that those responsible for the killings are held accountable. The developments in the Sydenham mass murder case are a significant breakthrough in the long-running investigation.
The KZN Murder and Robbery Unit is also investigating the KwaMakhutha mass shooting in the Ziko area, where 11 people were killed and three injured after gunmen allegedly opened fire on people gathered inside a house. Police have said the motive for that shooting has not yet been established and are following several leads. Anyone with information can contact Crime Stop anonymously on 08600 10111 or approach their nearest police station.
Key points
- Police in South Africa have arrested a suspect in connection with the 2021 killing of nine people in Sydenham.
- Charges were withdrawn against the suspect, but police intend to work with the prosecution to have them reinstated.
- A second suspect, believed to be the mastermind and shooter, is already in prison serving a sentence for an unrelated murder.
