Seven victims found dead, KZN Police arrest three in Newark kidnapping.
Image: File
Police have arrested three people in connection with the brutal murder of seven family members on the KZN North Coast.
Police say the victims were abducted at a home in Newtown, Newark, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, before being taken to Melmoth, where they were later killed.
The suspects allegedly broke into the victim's home and forcibly removed seven people, including a 20-year-old woman and an elderly victim aged 83.
Police say the breakthrough came after a maid working for the victims discovered the house had been broken into on Wednesday morning, 22 April 2026, with all occupants and a vehicle missing.
Swift investigations led officers to Hlomendlini, where two suspects were arrested, one of whom was found in possession of a cellphone belonging to one of the victims.
A third suspect was later arrested in Dendetu, Sundumbili, where he was also found with a firearm. Police recovered a total of 11 cellphones in the suspects’ possession.
Investigators further revealed that one of the suspects had been employed by the victims and had allegedly played a key role in the attack.
“The suspects allegedly broke into the victims’ house, tied them up with a rope, and one of them allegedly raped the 20-year-old woman before loading them onto a vehicle belonging to one of the victims, and drove to Melmoth,” police said.
Police further allege that the woman was raped again in Melmoth, where the suspects then forced the victims to provide banking details and PIN numbers. After accessing the accounts, police say three victims were shot dead while the remaining four were stabbed.
“After collecting the banking details, the suspects shot and killed three victims. The other four victims were brutally stabbed to death,” the police confirmed.
Police also established that multiple financial transactions were carried out from the victims’ accounts during the incident.
The bodies of the seven victims were later discovered in Melmoth on Wednesday.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi praised the swift response by law enforcement and urged stricter vigilance in employment practices, particularly in remote areas.
“Some crimes are difficult for police to prevent, if a crime happens, police’s reaction capacity must be equal to the task and crack the case,” Mkhwanazi said.
He added that it was “worrisome that one of the suspects was employed by the victims,” warning employers to conduct background checks on staff and monitor suspicious behaviour.
“Some cases, especially in the farms and secluded areas, are committed by people who are familiar and close to the victims,” he said.
Mkhwanazi further confirmed that police will continue investigating possible links to other crimes in the province.
“Police will leave no stone unturned in quest for a maximum jail sentence for the suspects. We will also analyse every piece of evidence to see if the suspect can be linked to other cases in and around the province,” he said.
The three suspects, aged 21, 26, and 28, are expected to appear in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court on Friday, April 24, 2026, on multiple charges including kidnapping, murder, rape, and armed robbery.