Man arrested after brutal murder of woman, 85

SWIFT work by Dutywa police resulted in the arrest of a man following the brutal murder of an 85year-old woman.

Police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha said an armed man, apparently wearing a balaclava, arrived at the woman’s home in Mabheleni Locality, Candu Village, on Thursday. “He was armed with an axe and hacked the elderly woman. She died instantly. A suspect was traced and arrested a day later in Candu Village.”

The man, 34, would appear in the Dutywa Magistrate’s Court today.

● Butterworth police are investigating a case of culpable homicide after a sedan, heading from Butterworth towards Msobomvu township, crashed on the R409 on Saturday, killing three of four young people in the vehicle.

Manatha said the car overturned and the driver died at the scene. Two passengers, a man and a woman, died in Butterworth Hospital.

“A fourth passenger, a man, suffered some injuries and is recovering at Butterworth Hospital.

“The woman has not been identified, and Butterworth police have appealed to any family whose female relative is missing, to contact them on 047-401-1100.”

The ages of the deceased were believed to be between 19 and 21.

● Nqeleni police’s crime prevention unit had a good start to their weekend of crime-fighting with the arrest of three people on charges of possessing unlicensed firearms and dealing in dagga.

Provincial police spokesman Captain Khaya Thonjeni said all three arrests took place on Friday, after police officers followed up on numerous tip-offs.

First, a 40-year-old man in Maqebevu administrative area was arrested after police seized a firearm whose licence number had been erased.

This was followed by the arrest of a woman, 43, who allegedly had in her possession an unlicensed firearm with one bullet and a homemade rifle with no ammunition.

Thonjeni said the firearms would be sent for ballistic testing to see if they were linked to other crimes.

Officers then arrested a man, 21, after locating 14kg of dagga with a street value of R14 100. All three will appear in the Ngqeleni Magistrate’s Court today.