Ndwedwe man arrested after elderly parents found murdered in their home

A 43-year-old man has been arrested in Ndwedwe, KwaZulu-Natal, after his elderly parents were found murdered in their home on Tuesday afternoon.

According to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), the organisation received a call for assistance at 13:26 from a local councillor, who reported that an elderly couple had been killed and that their son was preventing neighbours from entering the home. The son was allegedly standing at the door armed with a knife.

RUSA officers and paramedics were dispatched to the Thafamasi area, about 33km from the organisation’s headquarters, to provide medical assistance. They met members of the Ndwedwe SAPS in the vicinity and continued searching for the homestead.

Upon arriving at the scene, officers arrested the son before entering a rondavel where the couple lived. Inside, they found the two victims identified as 74-year-old Phumzile Rachel Ngcobo and 79-year-old Mziwamandla Ngcobo, lying in a pool of blood. Paramedics declared them dead at the scene.

RUSA said the victims had suffered multiple stab wounds and severe blunt-force injuries. A knife and logs believed to have been used in the attack were recovered inside the rondavel.

The suspect had sustained self-inflicted stab wounds in an apparent suicide attempt. He was treated on site before being taken into police custody. Authorities said it could not be immediately confirmed whether the man has a history of mental health issues.