Online Reporter
THE man accused of killing his wife and two daughters in Bedfordshire has appeared in court in South Africa after United Kingdom authorities submitted an application to extradite him.
Nothabo Zandile Tshuma (42) and her daughters — Natalie (15) and Nala (5) — were found dead by police in a house in Great Denham, near Bedford, on July 6.
A forensic post-mortem examination found they died as a result of blunt force trauma.
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised three murder charges against Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma (45), who is a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage.
He appeared before magistrates in Johannesburg yesterday, where he confirmed his name and was told a further court hearing would take place on July 22.
During the hearing, he indicated he would be speaking in English.
His mother and sister were seated in the court’s public gallery, and Tshuma waved to his family as he was taken down to the holding cells at the end of yesterday’s hearing.
South African police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, explained that the court proceedings concerned the extradition request and a charge of illegal possession of a firearm.
“We can confirm that South Africa has received a provisional extradition request from Interpol Manchester through to Interpol Pretoria.
“We will be awaiting a full extradition request within 40 days, which will include the case docket as well as supporting evidence.
“However, we can confirm that, for now, we do have the warrant of arrest from UK authorities,” she said.
Police said Tshuma travelled from Heathrow Airport in London to South Africa, via Dubai, and briefly came to Zimbabwe before returning to Johannesburg.
He was arrested in the Kensington suburb of the city on Friday.
In a tribute, family members said “words cannot begin to express the depth of our emptiness and sorrow in the fact of this tragic and senseless loss of life”.
Meanwhile, residents of Bulawayo’s Gwabalanda suburb are struggling to come to terms with the deaths of Zandile and her two daughters.
The case has sent shockwaves in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, with many residents in Gwabalanda and neighbouring Luveve saying they knew the family well.
Ward 16 Councillor Gertrude Gumede said the tragedy had left residents devastated and struggling to comprehend what happened.
“The people in the suburbs of Luveve and Gwabalanda are shocked and devastated. There are very few people who do not know this story.
“Many are at a loss for words and are still trying to come to terms with what has happened,” she said.
Clr Gumede, whose ward includes the Khumalo family home, said she learnt about the incident from a resident.
However, she is yet to go there “because there has not been an official funeral wake”.
“I will visit the family, but for now it is still a very sensitive moment. I am having sleepless nights thinking about the case and I am still in shock.
“Even looking at Ndodana, he always seemed to be a good person, but you never know what got into him to become so cruel, as alleged in reports coming from the United Kingdom,” said Clr Gumede.
She expressed sympathy to both families as they grapple with the tragedy.
Brig Mathe said Tshuma’s other charge in South Africa emanated after he was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm upon arrest.
“According to our investigation, after landing in South Africa on 5 July, he went to one of the townships where he bought this firearm,” she said.
“We have a separate investigation being conducted by Gauteng Organised Crime and Crime Intelligence to trace the person who sold him the firearm,” she said.
Brig Mathe said police suspect Tshuma intended to use the firearm to commit suicide before he could be arrested.
“It is our suspicion that this particular firearm was going to be used to end his life.
“It is commendable that our teams worked quickly to arrest him before that process could unfold so that he can answer to the crimes he allegedly committed in the UK,” she said.
Brig Mathe also dismissed speculation that Tshuma’s relatives had shielded him from investigators.
“We have seen his mother and his brother in court this morning. Yes, he has family in South Africa, but I think we must make it quite clear that his family did not harbour him,” she said.
“They assisted us greatly in apprehending him and played a very pivotal role together with SAPS Interpol Pretoria and our organised crime investigation teams.”
She also clarified how Tshuma entered South Africa without being intercepted at the border.
“When he entered South Africa on 5 July, authorities in the UK had only discovered the bodies on 6 July. He had not yet been circulated as a wanted fugitive by Interpol. What is commendable is that even before Interpol issued the red notice, SAPS Interpol Pretoria and our organised crime investigators in Gauteng were already following leads.
“They visited the hotel where he had checked in and followed up several addresses and contacts linked to him,” said Brigadier Mathe. – Bongani Ndlovu/ BBC
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