A 26-year-old man of Ntsintsa under Dlangeni Chiefdom in Hhukwini Inkhundla has been arrested in connection with the brutal killing of two sisters who were reported missing on Sunday.
The deceased, identified as Siyanda Magagula (14) and Lwandolwethu (10), went missing on Sunday at about 3pm after they were sent to fetch cattle from grazing land in the mountains at Ntsintsa.
According to information gathered from relatives, the girls had been sent by their grandfather to look for cattle but did not return home, prompting a search by family members, neighbours, and the community.
A relative said the girls’ bodies were eventually discovered yesterday morning after police returned to the area with a suspect believed to be their uncle.
“As a family and community we had been searching for the girls since Sunday. We started suspecting the 26-year-old uncle because he was the last person seen with them,” said the relative.
The relative alleged that during the search, the suspect avoided joining other family members and instead took separate routes while claiming that he had injured his leg and could not walk, which they said raised suspicions.
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The relative said family members later confronted the suspect and questioned him about the disappearance of the girls.
According to the relative, police took the suspect in for questioning on Tuesday afternoon following growing suspicion from the family and community. He said police returned to the area with the suspect yesterday morning where community members had already gathered to continue the search.
“When police came back with him, he took them to the place where the girls’ bodies were hidden. It was shocking because that was one of the areas we had already searched before,” the relative alleged.
The relative further alleged that police questioned the suspect about the weapon used in the killing, after which he reportedly produced a four-pound hammer that was allegedly stained with blood.
Family members said the bodies of the two girls had visible injuries.
“They had serious head injuries and wounds on their bodies. One of the girls had multiple knife stab wounds,” the relative said, adding that the discovery of the bodies left the family and the community in shock.
Police arrested the suspect, who has since been charged with two counts of murder, while investigations continue.
Acting Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni confirmed the incident.
