Africa-Press – South-Africa. KwaZulu-Natal police have arrested four men in connection with a fire at a home in Pietermaritzburg that claimed the lives of 13 people last month.
The victims were burnt alive when a group of gunmen barged into their home in Taylor’s Halt, Pietermaritzburg, ordered them to undress, poured a substance over them, and set them alight.
The provincial Murder and Robbery Unit under the Serious Violent Crimes Unit arrested the men who allegedly set the RDP house alight on 14 May.
Eight people were burnt to death inside the house, while others succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
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Another dead body was found with burn wounds in bushes a short distance from the crime scene.
“The matter was escalated to the Murder and Robbery Unit under the Serious Violent Crime Unit who hit the ground running.
“Immaculate investigations isolated the suspected murderers and police pounced on them on Tuesday,” police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said on Wednesday.
Investigations were continuing, he added, saying the investigating team was not ruling out the possibility of more arrests.
Independent violence monitor Mary de Haas previously told News24 there was not any long-term plan in place by the police or government to resolve the long-standing issues in crime-ridden parts of Pietermaritzburg.
There have been several instances of violence in Pietermaritzburg in recent years, including gangs terrorising communities and an influx of drugs.
De Haas said there was a trend of police showing up at crime scenes only when incidents made the news.
“The general trend, as elsewhere, is that after there is a newsworthy incident, such as a mass shooting, there may be interventions such as increased patrols which is like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.”
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