Police question suspect in connection with Lusikisiki murders

Police have taken one person in for questioning over the Lusikisiki mass shootings that resulted in the deaths of 18 people in the Eastern Cape.

National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said: "After thorough questioning, detectives will determine if there are grounds for arrest. The minister of police and the national commissioner confirmed that police know who they are looking for and are confident that arrests are imminent."

The victims were gunned down in a homestead in Nyathi village, Ngobozana, on Friday night.

Fifteen of the victims were women while two were men. The gender of the last victim who died in hospital on Sunday is yet to be confirmed.

Thirteen of them, 12 women and one man, were found dead in one house, while four were found in a nearby homestead.

The family was preparing for a traditional ritual that was scheduled for Saturday to mark the end of mourning period for a mother and daughter who were also shot dead in August last year. 

The group had gathered to pack goods and presents for the event when the shooting occurred in the small village.

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