Massacre death toll jumps

Rescued kids die in KZN hospital

The death toll from a family massacre in KwaZulu-Natal has risen to eight‚ after two young children who were rescued from a burning rondavel died in hospital.

This comes after two homes belonging to the Sibiya family were attacked on Tuesday night in Amatimatolo village.

TimesLIVE previously reported that police were alerted to the mass slaying by members of the community‚ who were awoken by the sound of gunfire. Neighbours reportedly emerged from their homes to find a rondavel ablaze.

“The community members checked and saw the house on fire and five family members were inside‚” said provincial police spokeswoman Captain Nqobile Gwala.

“Attempts were made to rescue the family, but unfortunately the fire was uncontrollable. All five family members died at the scene.”

She said bystanders then noticed another rondavel‚ 100m from the first one‚ was also on fire. “The community members managed to rescue three children‚ who sustained burn wounds but unfortunately a 58-year-old woman died at the scene.”

She said two of the children later died in hospital.

ANC provincial spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli said the party was “devastated” by the slaying‚ the work of an apparent assassin.

“Details regarding the brutal murder of [the] Sibiya family members remain sketchy, but it appears that an unknown assassin stormed into two family homes and opened fire‚ leaving family members dead.

“The killers also doused the houses with petrol and set them alight‚” he said. “Clearly something is not right in our province.” –