Durban - A man who allegedly bludgeoned his wife and two teenage children to death with a traditional Hindu religious object appeared briefly in the Chatsworth Magistrate's Court in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday.
He is alleged to have used a gada - a traditional Indian mace carried by the Hindu god Hanuman - to kill his wife and their two teenage children, aged 18 and 17.
Their bloodied and battered bodies were found in the family home on Sunday by police after friends raised the alarm over the family's failure to attend a memorial service.
The man was handed over to police by his relatives on New Year's Eve.
A small number of protesters attended the brief court proceedings on Friday.
Magistrate Leon Nielsen adjourned the case to January 10 to allow the man to apply for legal aid and possibly make a formal bail application.
Prosecutor Owen Subben said the State would oppose bail.
As the man was lead from the courtroom down to the cells, someone in the public gallery could be heard saying: “Die you bastard.”
Outside the court a number of protesters gathered with placards that read “We demand justice” and “Fathers don't kill their kids”.
The funeral of the three was expected to take place later on Friday.
Wikipedia describes the gada as a blunt mace or club from South Asia which is made entirely of metal. It consists essentially of a spherical head mounted on a shaft, with a spike on the top. Hanuman is described as a protector against evil spirits and is worshipped as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance and devotion. - Sapa