KZN Man Arrested After Burning Girlfriend To Death, Axing 1 Daughter, Raping Another

Police have confirmed the arrest of a 48-year-old man for a series of heinous crimes against his family in the Ngome policing precinct.

The Vryheid K9 and Hlobane police officers handcuffed the suspect on Thursday, 6 November 2025, just hours after the attacks occurred at the Shanelweni Reserve.

Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda detailed the grim sequence of events.

“Reports indicate that a 13-year-old girl was asleep with her elder sister when she was woken up by a noise at the door at around 01:00 on Thursday morning. She then noticed that her mother’s boyfriend was hacking her sister with an axe.”

Bravery and a Harrowing Escape from the Crime Scene

The 13-year-old girl showed immense courage in the face of unspeakable violence. Colonel Netshiunda said, “The brave girl attempted to intervene, but the axe-wielding man stopped assaulting her sister and dragged the 13-year-old out of the house.

“As he was dragging her, she noticed smoke coming from the room where her mother was sleeping. The suspect dragged her to the nearby bushes where he raped her, before releasing her just before dawn.”

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The suspect had allegedly set the room alight, burning his 41-year-old girlfriend to death. The 28-year-old daughter survived the axe attack.

Swift Police Operation Leads to Arrest

Police launched an immediate operation following the reports. “Upon receiving the information, Vryheid K9 members, working together with police from Hlobane police station, conducted an operation which resulted in the arrest of the suspect at KwaMnyathi area,” said Netshiunda.

The suspect now faces a litany of serious charges. “The suspect was charged with murder, attempted murder as well as rape, and he will appear in the Louwsburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 7 November 2025,” Netshiunda confirmed.

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