Durban - A mother and daughter have died after being shot in their home in a Pietermaritzburg informal settlement.
The women have been identified as Goodness Luthuli (age unconfirmed) and her daughter, Nonhlanhla Luthuli, 24, who according to neighbours was three months pregnant.
Neighbours of the victims in the Parkview settlement were reeling from shock after finding the two women lying on the floor of their shack in a pool of blood.
They alerted police and emergency services around 9pm on Tuesday after they heard gunshots and a woman’s screams coming from the shack.
Netcare 911 paramedics found the mother and daughter to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Netcare 911 spokesman Chris Botha said paramedics worked hard to resuscitate the younger woman, but she died.
Goodness Luthuli was stabilised at the scene and taken to Grey’s Hospital where she died on Wednesday morning.
Luthuli had been shot in the head and chest while her daughter had been shot in the head and back.
A neighbour who was first on the scene told the Daily News that when she arrived at the home of the two women, Nonhlanhla reached out her hand towards her, whimpering and crying for help before dying.
“I am still traumatised by what I saw. It was horrible. The daughter was lying on top of her mother and that’s where she died,” said the woman, who asked that her name not be published.
The woman revealed she had also spoken to Goodness Luthuli in an effort to keep her conscious until help arrived.
Neighbours said Nonhlanhla attended the Northdale FET College.
They speculated on Wednesday that the attack might be linked to a domestic dispute. Police could not confirm that.
“The motive for this attack is unknown at this stage and there are no details regarding the description of suspects.
“Police are working vigorously in pursuit of the suspects,” said Warrant Officer Joshua Maistry of the Mountain Rise police station.
Anyone with positive information about the case has been urged to phone the investigating officer, Sergeant Sheldon Norman, at 084 633 7610.
Daily News