For six days, police on two continents followed and tracked a man who had vanished from a quiet English suburb after three members of his family were found dead inside their home.
The manhunt ended on Friday afternoon in the streets of Kensington in Johannesburg, when SAPS members arrested the British citizen wanted in connection with the murders of his wife and two daughters in the UK.
Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, who also uses the name Mark Tshuma, is due to appear in a South African magistrate’s court on Monday morning. This follows his capture during what police described as an intelligence-driven operation involving the SAPS’s organised crime investigation and crime intelligence units and Interpol National Central Bureau, according to national police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe.
The British national, who is of Zimbabwean heritage, became the subject of an international manhunt after the bodies of his wife, Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and daughters Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were discovered at the family home in Great Denham, near Bedford, on Monday.
Bedfordshire Police officers forced entry to the property after concerned neighbours reported they had not seen the family for several days.
Investigators allege Tshuma had already fled the UK. CCTV footage reportedly captured him leaving through London’s Heathrow Airport last Saturday — two days before the bodies were discovered. He travelled on a British passport.
This arrest demonstrates that South Africa is not a safe haven for fugitives. Anyone who believes they can evade justice by fleeing to our country should know that SAPS will work tirelessly with international law enforcement partners to trace, locate and arrest them
— Brig Athlenda Mathe, national police spokesperson
Police initially believed he had flown to Zimbabwe before establishing that he had travelled on to South Africa.
Interpol issued a Red Notice on Thursday. Acting on information from a person believed to be a relative, SAPS officers traced and arrested Tshuma within hours.
Mathe said the arrest followed “swift operational co-ordination and intelligence-led policing”.
Acting national police commissioner Lt-Gen Puleng Dimpane praised the officers involved.
“This arrest demonstrates that South Africa is not a safe haven for fugitives,” Mathe said. “Anyone who believes they can evade justice by fleeing to our country should know that SAPS will work tirelessly with international law enforcement partners to trace, locate and arrest them.”
According to eNCA, Tshuma was allegedly found in possession of an unlicensed firearm when he was arrested. Authorities are also investigating how the weapon entered the country.
He remains in custody under heavy guard.
The deaths have stunned the community of Great Denham, where the family lived in a luxury four-bedroom home reportedly bought in 2024.
According to UK media reports, Tshuma owned a property company, Nexus Trove Holdings. Companies House records show the business held assets of just over £1m (about R21.9m) at the end of 2024 and made a profit of £48,277 that year.
Tributes have poured in for five-year-old Nala.
Her school, Pilgrims Pre-Prep in Bedford, described her as “a much-loved member of our school community who brought joy to those around her every day”.
Head teacher Jo Webster said many staff members had known Nala since she was seven months old.
“She was a little ray of sunshine, known for her inquisitive and bubbly nature, her positivity, happiness and her wonderful sense of humour,” Webster said.
The Guardian reported that UK prosecutors had formally charged Tshuma with three counts of murder. The Crown Prosecution Service announced on Friday that it had authorised the charges relating to the deaths of his wife and daughters.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.