A councillor in the Mandeni municipality says the community remains in shock following the murder of seven members of the Monswamy family, who were abducted from their Newtown home on Tuesday and later found dead in Melmoth on Wednesday.
The victims, aged between 20 and 80, were discovered with multiple injuries. Police confirmed that some had been shot, others stabbed, and that the youngest victim, a 20-year-old woman, had also been raped.
According to the South African Police Service in KwaZulu-Natal, the family’s domestic worker arrived at the residence on Wednesday morning and found signs of a break-in, prompting an immediate police response.
Investigators quickly tracked down two suspects in the Hlomendlini area, while a third was arrested in Sundumbili. Police say one of the suspects was previously employed by the victims. The suspects later led officers to the site where the bodies were recovered.
Local ward councillor Kuben Naicker said the incident has left residents fearful and traumatised.
“This is the first incident where people have been kidnapped in our area. Crime has been escalating, and the community is now afraid for their safety in their own homes,” he said.
Naicker described the Monswamy family as well-known and respected in the community, adding that the killings have sparked widespread anger. He noted that the father of the family was a local businessman.
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi praised the swift arrest of the suspects, while warning that more must be done to prevent similar crimes.
“Some crimes are difficult for police to prevent, but our reaction must match the severity of the crime,” Mkhwanazi said.
He expressed concern that one of the suspects was known to the family, urging employers to conduct proper background checks and remain alert to suspicious behaviour.
Mkhwanazi added that police will continue to investigate whether the suspects may be linked to other crimes in the province, and vowed that authorities will pursue a maximum sentence if they are convicted.