Police seize high-calibre firearms believed to have been used in Lusikisiki massacre

Police have seized high-calibre firearms believed to have been used in the Lusikisiki massacre, and another two suspects were arrested for possessing the weapons.

Intelligence and detective work led police to recover three AK47 automatic rifles and a 243 Mannlicher rifle on Thursday night.

Preliminary investigations found the firearms were moved to a different location after the mass killing, said police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe.

“Two more suspects have been arrested after they were found to be in possession of the rifles. The pair was arrested in Flagstaff in the Eastern Cape,” Mathe said.

The firearms were taken in for ballistics testing to confirm whether they were used in the commission of the massacre and to determine which other crimes they could be linked to.

On Wednesday, three other suspects were arrested in Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal after police issued an alert for wanted suspects linked to the massacre.

The trio were found when a member of the public alerted police that the wanted suspects, aged 22, 24 and 31, were hiding in rented accommodation at Mkholombe informal settlement.

The arrests came a day after the first suspect, Siphosoxolo Myekethe, abandoned his bail application on Tuesday after being charged with the murders. Myekethe, 45, was out on parole when he was arrested.

Last month 18 people, believed to be relatives and neighbours, were gunned down in a homestead in Nyathi village in Lusikisiki. The deceased were preparing for a traditional ritual planned for that day to mark the end of the mourning period for a mother and daughter who were killed a year ago.

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