Ntuli calls for increased policing after family massacre in Newark

The killing of seven members of one family in Newark in KwaZulu-Natal has prompted premier Thami Ntuli to call for more law enforcement in crime spots.

More than 2000 members of the South African National Defence Force have already been deployed to crime affected areas in provinces including KwaZulu-Natal to support police.

The family members were kidnapped, stabbed and had money withdrawn from their bank accounts on Tuesday. 

Ntuli has highlighted the importance of safety in communities. 

“For places such as Point in Durban, maybe the deployment of an army is necessary. I am making a consideration of that call because we need to do something, even some of the areas we are receiving information, people now are beginning to report things that were not reported in the past because of the call that we have made as government for collaboration explaining to the people that we cannot address this problem if communities do not play their role.”

GRAPHIC CONTENT | Seven family members killed in gruesome attack in KZN

Police have established that one of the suspects worked for the victims.

Police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda says the victims are aged between 20 and 83.

“A total of eleven cellphones were found in possession of the suspects. He and his accomplices allegedly broke into the victims’ house, tied them up with a rope and one them allegedly raped the 20-year-old woman before loading them onto a vehicle belonging to one of the victims, and drove to Melmoth, a distance of approximately 200km from the scene. Police also unearthed that the same suspect who raped the 20-year-old at the house, raped her again in Melmoth, before demanding banking details and Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) from three victims. After collecting the banking details, the suspects shot and killed three victims to death. The other four victims were brutally stabbed to death. Police also discovered that on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, several bank transfers were made from the victims’ accounts.”