Nearly five years after nine people were killed in a series of shootings in Sydenham, Durban, police have arrested a suspect allegedly linked to the 2021 mass killings.
KwaZulu-Natal Murder and Robbery Unit detectives apprehended the suspect in the Obuka area of Melmoth on Wednesday night following a lengthy investigation.
The suspect is wanted in connection with the deaths of nine people who were killed in separate incidents in Sydenham on 16 October 2021.
Six victims were shot dead at a house in the Palmiet Road Informal Settlement. A short distance away, another three people were killed in two separate incidents on the same day.
Investigators believe the separate attacks were carried out by the same group of suspects.
The case was subsequently handed over to the Murder and Robbery Unit, which identified two suspects during its investigation.
According to KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, one of the suspects was eventually traced to Empangeni. He allegedly resisted arrest and was fatally wounded during an exchange of gunfire with police.
The second suspect remained at large for years.
Suspect tracked down in Melmoth
Detectives eventually received information that led them to the Obuka area of Melmoth, where the remaining suspect was allegedly hiding.
Netshiunda said the suspect had managed to evade police for a prolonged period, but persistent investigative work ultimately led officers to his hiding place.
“He was elusive but relentless police efforts led them to Obuka area in Melmoth where he was in hiding and he was cornered and arrested,” Netshiunda said.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 25 September 2026, where he is expected to face multiple murder charges.
Police also probe KwaMakhutha mass shooting
The Murder and Robbery Unit is simultaneously investigating another deadly mass shooting in KwaZulu-Natal.
Eleven people were killed in the Ziko area of KwaMakhutha, south of Durban, on Tuesday night. Detectives are following several leads as they work to identify those responsible.
Netshiunda said investigators remained confident that arrests would eventually follow.
Police are appealing to anyone with information that could assist the investigation to come forward.
Information can be provided anonymously through Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or by contacting the nearest police station.
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