A 43-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly killing his elderly parents at their home in Ndwedwe, KwaZulu-Natal, on Tuesday.
According to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), the alarm was raised at 13:26 when a local councillor reported that an elderly couple had been attacked and that their son was preventing neighbours from entering the property. Responders were told the man was armed with a knife and refusing to allow anyone to assist the victims.
RUSA officers and paramedics, accompanied by Ndwedwe SAPS, located the home in the Thafamasi area. The suspect was arrested at the scene before officers entered a rondavel where the couple was found lying in a pool of blood.
The victims, identified as 74-year-old Phumzile Rachel Ngcobo and 79-year-old Mziwamandla Ngcobo, were declared dead at the scene. They had suffered multiple stab wounds and severe blunt-force injuries. A knife and wooden logs believed to have been used in the attack were recovered inside the rondavel.
The suspect, who had sustained self-inflicted stab wounds in what appeared to be a suicide attempt, was treated on scene before being taken into custody. Police have not yet confirmed whether he has a history of mental health challenges.
Authorities say sensitive footage and images from the scene will not be released due to their graphic nature.