Johannesburg: A Free State farmer and two Lesotho nationals, aged 20 and 21, have been arrested for the murders of five family members.
The victims were shot and burnt inside their homes while an 11-month old baby was hit with a knobkerrie and survived the attack in Marakong village, Namahadi, Qwaqwa, in the early hours of April 4.
Four other children who survived raised the alarm.
Free State police spokesperson Colonel Thandi Mbambo said the first suspect to be arrested was a 21-year-old Lesotho national. He was taken into custody on in Mphatlalatsane, Qwaqwa, on Wednesday.
Then, on Friday at around 1am, a 20-year-old Lesotho national and a 43-year-old farmer were arrested in Harrismith.
“The farmer is charged with defeating the ends of justice after it emerged that he had been transporting the suspects with his vehicle, assisting them to evade the law. His vehicle was confiscated.”
Mbambo said the farmer had allegedly taken the suspects to his farm in Harrismith where he hid them after the attack.
It was not yet known what the relationship was between the farmer and the suspects.
Mbambo said it was also not known whether the farmer was at the scene or met the suspects somewhere after the killings and took them to his farm.
“The other main suspect is still at large,” Mbambo added.
When the police arrived at the murder scene they found one of the victims, Moliehi Thoabala, 38, shot in the stomach and her husband, Safolo Mofokeng, 36, burnt inside their house. Relebohile Lemeko, 48, her daughter, Masabata Lemeko, 25, and son, Tatolo Lemeko, 22, were burnt inside their shack.
An 11-month-old baby, Relebohile’s grandson, was allegedly hit with a knobkierie on the nose. He survived the attack and was taken to hospital in critical condition.
IOL