Eastern Cape police have made a breakthrough in the mass killing of five family members in Bhityi.
Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the murders at Ncinjana village, Mthentu, in the Bhityi policing area outside Mthatha at about 8.30pm on Friday.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said the two men were arrested on Tuesday at Msukweni village in the Bhityi police precinct.
“The mobilisation of all available resources by the provincial commissioner, Lieutenant-Colonel Nomthetheleli Mene, bore fruit as the seasoned detectives have arrested two people, aged 22 and 39, and seized one unlicensed firearm and ammunition on Tuesday night,” she said.
The suspects have been charged with five counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, armed robbery and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
They will appear in the Bhityi magistrate’s court on Thursday.
Mene has commended the investigating team for the breakthrough.
“As the SAPS, we are concerned and worried about the ongoing mass shootings, and that is why dedicated teams have been established,” Mene said.
“This sends a stern warning that police will ensure that those responsible for any crime face the full might of the law.”
The arrest comes as two more suspects were arrested for possession of four high-calibre weapons, including AK-47s, believed to have been used in the September 28 Lusikisiki massacre in which 18 people died.
The victims included two sisters and a 13-year-old boy.
The suspects are expected to appear in the Lusikisiki magistrate’s court on Thursday.
A total of six suspects have been arrested for the Lusikisiki shooting.
Meanwhile, there are still no arrests in the Willowvale mass shooting in which three men were killed and a woman wounded in the tiny rural town’s CBD on Friday afternoon.
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