KZN Social Development MEC, Nonhlanhla Khoza, commends the police for the arrest of the man accused of the brutal murder of two Grade 12 learners

Nonhlanhla Khoza, MEC for Social Development in KwaZulu-Natal, has praised police for apprehending the man suspected of the gruesome murder of two Grade 12 learners.

The two girls were killed with an axe at their rented house in Ngwangwane village in southern KwaZulu-Natal.

A man in his twenties allegedly broke into the rented residence in the early hours of the morning, hacked the girls to death, and mutilated their bodies.

One of the girls’ bodies was discovered in the house, while the other was discovered five kilometres away.

Khoza was shocked and disgusted by the horrible death of the two students.

“We are in pain that these young women had to die like this. The attack on defenceless learners is totally abhorrent and a reflection of the worst form of criminality and decline of morals.

“It is very painful that we start Women’s Month with such a horrific incident. We find solace in the fact that law enforcement agencies quickly arrested the suspect, even though he tried to evade justice,” Khoza said.

She reiterated that all those involved in atrocities did not deserve to stay among peace-loving people.

The continued murder of defenceless women and children is an unfortunate act of criminality, the worst form of criminality, decline of humanity, morality and Ubuntu, she said.

“It should be totally rejected and denounced in the strongest possible terms. We cannot continue like this as a society when we wake up with such horrible crimes daily. These crimes set us backward as this democratic government.”

Khoza expressed her sympathies to the families of the two girls who died.

The department’s team will offer psychosocial support to the family as well as learners and teachers at the school where the girls were enrolled.

The suspect was apprehended on Sunday afternoon and brought to the scene on Monday afternoon to indicate where he had dumped the remains of the other girl.

However, in an attempt to escape, he leaped into the river and swam across.

The police had to call in the dog unit for assistance in locating the suspect. He was apprehended by police at a local St Johns Apostolic Faith Mission church residence.

Ward 8 Councillor Mthobisi Dlamini said the incident had shocked the community.

Dlamini observed that a number of students from other wards and municipalities rent residences in Ward 8 in order to be closer to their schools.

“We have never experienced such a horrific incident. We never slept since this incident happened because we were worried that the criminals would strike again.

“However, the fact that police arrested this man made us happy. We could not sleep when he escaped. We are happy too that the body of the other child was finally found in the early hours of this morning,” he said.