A South African court has charged a man in connection with the brutal murder of 18 relatives at a rural homestead in the southeastern part of the country.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Siphosoxolo Myekethe, 45, is facing 18 counts of murder along with an additional charge for possession of an unlicensed firearm. Myekethe was arrested at his residence on Monday evening.
The NPA disclosed that Myekethe has a criminal record, having previously been convicted of murder and escaping legal custody. At the time of this tragic incident, he was reportedly on parole, though the details surrounding his release remain unclear.
The massacre occurred on September 28 in Lusikisiki village, Eastern Cape province, during a family gathering for a traditional ceremony. The incident has shocked the nation, sparking calls for increased police protection in rural areas.
Authorities have yet to determine the motive behind the attack, and investigations are ongoing. Media reports indicate that the victims, aged between 14 and 64, included 15 women, many of whom sustained gunshot wounds to the head.
The mass killing is part of a disturbing trend of violence in the region. Shortly after the Lusikisiki tragedy, six security guards were killed while preparing for patrol near a school in a neighboring village.
South Africa’s homicide rate remains alarmingly high, with recent data showing 6,198 murders recorded between April and June, positioning the country among those with the highest per capita murder rates globally.