A mother and her three children were found hacked to death in their home in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga.
A lifeless body was found in the house
Police found the bodies of a 47-year-old woman as well as two 11-year-old boys and a six-year-old girl.
All victims were certified dead by paramedics at the scene.
Police officers found the bodies on Friday night after family members said they were unable to contact the victims. The home was locked when officers arrived.
“They had to force their way into the house and were shocked to find a body in the kitchen,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.
The body was one of 11-year-old twins.
“While continuing the search, the bodies of a 47-year-old woman, her 11-year-old son and her six-year-old daughter were found dead in one of the rooms.”
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An ax was found near the body
An axe, which police believe was used to kill the mother and her children, was also found in the room.
“It is strange that the four-room house was locked from the outside, raising suspicions that a heartless assailant locked it in after the gruesome murder,” said Mohlala.
They said the last victims were seen alive on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
Police are looking for people
Police in Piet Retief are looking for Thembinkosi Africa Shongwe. The 55-year-old man is the woman’s husband and the father of a six-year-old girl.
“It is believed that he can assist the police investigation,” Mohlala said.
Shongwe could not be found at a known address in Eziphunzini, Thandukukhanya.
“People who may know his whereabouts should not hesitate to contact Captain Dumisani Gumbi on 082 493 1962 or call Police Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or on MYSAPSAPP. The police assures that all information received will be treated as confidential,” said Mohlala.
Acting Provincial Police Commissioner in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi has urged members of the public not to take the law into their own hands, but to help the police fight violence against women and children.
He called those who killed mothers and children “cowards”.
“Attacking defenseless women and children is considered cowardly,” Mkhwanazi said.
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