An apparent love triangle led to a double murder and a suicide in which three young people lost their lives in a shooting in an Esplanade block of flats in Durban on Tuesday night.
Thulani Cedric Ngema, 36, is alleged to have got information that his girlfriend, Sisiswati Charmaine Khumalo, 25, was having an affair with a man, Chris Dladla, 25, who lived on the ninth floor of the Gables.
Police Captain Gugu Sabela said Ngema and Khumalo argued about whether she was having an affair with Dladla.
"It appears he then shot her before going up to the ninth floor where he shot Dladla.
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"It is thought Ngema then returned to his flat and shot himself dead," said Sabela.
Residents were shocked at the triple killing and described the couple and Dladla as popular in their respective circles.
Nick Grace who lived in the same block of flats said Dladla was his neighbour and had been living in the building for about two years.
"He was a nice chap. We often spoke and he seemed to get on with most other neighbours," said Grace.
Another resident, who did not want her name mentioned, said that Khumalo worked as a driver and was a cheerful person.
In another incident, police opened a murder docket after the body of an unidentified Indian man was found on a lonely road near Inanda quarry.
Because it is such an uninhabited spot, police suspect he may have been hijacked elsewhere and then thrown out of his own vehicle before being run over. The man was about 27 and had the top of his hair dyed blond. He was of average height with a dark complexion and was wearing trendy shorts with several pockets, and a T-shirt, but he had no shoes on.
The body was removed to the Phoenix police station mortuary.
Anyone with information about the incident can contact Supt Vusimuzi Ndlamini at 031 510 9900 (quoting Inanda case 843/12/2003).
A relatively incident-free holiday period on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast was marred by a drowning at St Lucia's main beach.
Nkanyiso Ngwenya, 14, of KwaMashu was swimming with two cousins and a friend on Monday when he was swept away by a big wave, police spokesman, Capt Tienkie van Vuuren, said today.
Nkanyiso's cousin, Mthokozisi, saw he was in trouble and tried to rescue him, but also got into difficulty and was saved by a bystander.
The SA Police Service water wing in Richards Bay was called to the scene, but the boy's body could not be found.
Nkanyiso had been visiting his aunt in Mtubatuba.
Van Vuuren said the tragedy was the first drowning on the north coast this festive season.
- This article was originally published on page 1 of Daily News on December 31, 2003
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