Three men allegedly responsible for the brutal slaying of a Tongaat businessman and his wife will appear in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Friday for a formal bail application hearing.
Senzo Sello Nduli, 26, Lucky Ernest Njoko, 23, and Sibusiso Mthimkhulu, 28, of Maguveni ward, Tongaat, appeared in the same court last week in connection with with the fatal attack on the Reddy couple.
Reddy, 59, his wife, 53, and their son, Nivashen, 29, were asleep in their home in Burbreeze, Tongaat, when armed men forced their way in and attacked them last week.
Reddy, a local businessman and bus transport operator and his wife, were shot dead. Nivashan, who was shot in the left lower back and stabbed several times, survived the attack. The couple’s pregnant daughter, Prishini, and her husband Rishal Rammanan, were not harmed. It was reported the young couple’s lives were spared after the attackers ran out of ammunition.
Last week Nivashan said that the family were too scared to return home after a second attack took place hours after his parents’ funerals. They sought refuge at the homes of relatives.
He also praised police following the arrests but said there were still many questions left unanswered. “The family is happy that they have been arrested but we want to know the reason for killing them in such a horrible way,” said Nivashan.
Speculation is rife that the double killing stemmed from a long running dispute between Balaram and residents from a nearby informal settlement over illegal electricity connections taken from his shop in Frasers. Balaram had been threatened openly and survived four previous attacks on his life.
Howevever, police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker said the motive for the killing was robbery. He added the suspects allegedly stole cash from Reddy’s room, jewellery and cellphones.
The three accused, who were arrested by members of the Umhlali Dog Unit and Crime Intelligence Unit, have all been charged with two counts of murder, attempted murder, house robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms.
They were caught near a convenience store owned by Reddy. Two unlicensed firearms and a knife believed to have been used to stab Nivashen were recovered during the arrest. A pair of shoes that belonged to Nivashan’s younger brother was also found.