A father accused of murdering his wife and two daughters bought a gun to kill himself while on the run, South African police have claimed.
Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, also known as Mark Tshuma, was arrested in South Africa after allegedly killing his family at their £1.3m mansion in Bedford.
A senior officer from the South African Police Service (SAPS) said the 45-year-old had bought a 9mm pistol loaded with two rounds of ammunition on July 5, the day after he landed in Johannesburg from Heathrow airport via Dubai.
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said detectives believed Mr Tshuma intended to kill himself but was arrested by an international taskforce before he could do so.
Mr Tshuma, a dual British-Zimbabwean national, is believed to have hidden with extended family members during the five-day manhunt.
His relatives were reportedly unaware of the allegations against him while he stayed with them. The suspect is also believed to have stayed in a hotel in the province of Gauteng.
Mr Tshuma, an IT consultant, was caught in the Johannesburg suburb of Kensington on Friday, after a co-ordinated operation by Interpol, SAPS and the National Crime Agency.
The Crown Prosecution Service has charged Mr Tshuma with three counts of murder after police found the bodies of his wife Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, known as Zandile, and daughters Natalie, 15, and Nala, 5, at the family home in Great Denham on July 7.
Mr Tshuma appeared before the Johannesburg magistrates’ court for a preliminary hearing on Monday. Pictures showed him standing in court with bloodshot eyes.
He was denied bail and remanded in custody, where he awaits extradition back to the UK.
South African police have launched their own investigation as to how Mr Tshuma bought the handgun in Alexandra, a township on the northern outskirts of Johannesburg.
Ms Mathe told reporters assembled outside the court that SAPS had received a provisional extradition request from Interpol.
They are awaiting the full extradition request, arrest warrant and case docket from Bedfordshire Police, which is leading the investigation into the alleged murders.She said: “According to our investigation, after landing in South Africa on July 5, he went to one of the townships to purchase this particular firearm… It is our suspicion that this particular firearm was going to be used to end his life.
“So I think it’s quite commendable that we worked quickly to arrest him before that process could unfold so that he could answer to the crimes that he [is alleged to have] committed in the UK.”
Mr Tshuma will next appear at the Johannesburg magistrates’ court on July 22.
His wife, who was born and educated in Zimbabwe, emigrated to the UK in 2011.
Mrs Tshuma worked as an analyst for a care home service and later in senior anti-fraud roles for Barclays and KPMG. Her last role was as an associate director for the Forensic Risk Alliance.
Their daughters were privately educated. Natalie attended Bedford Girls’ School while Nala was at Pilgrims Pre-Prep School.
A family spokesman said: “We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss of life, a young, beautiful family that has needlessly lost their lives and future. We are all grappling to make sense of this tragedy, I don’t know if it will ever be possible for us to find closure.”Det Insp Lee Martin, the senior investigating officer from Bedfordshire Police, said: “Thanks to the tireless work and dedication of all those involved, we have managed to swiftly locate and arrest Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, who we want to speak to in connection with this shocking and tragic case.
“Our investigation remains ongoing and we’ll be working closely with our counterparts in South Africa, as well as the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service, to bring him back to this country.
“Our thoughts remain very much with Zandile, Natalie and Nala, as well as their loved ones, at this time.”
Additional info sourced from The Telegraphy
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