A South African court has charged a man for murder in connection with the killing of 18 relatives at a rural homestead in the Eastern Cape, state prosecutors said on Wednesday.
Siphosoxolo Myekethe was charged with 18 counts of murder and the possession of an unlicenced firearm, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a statement.
The 45-year-old was arrested on Monday evening while at home, police told AFP.
Previously imprisoned for murder
Myekethe had previously been imprisoned for murder and escaping from legal custody, the NPA said, but was out on parole for an unknown amount of time when the atrocity happened on September 28.
The massacre in the Lusikisiki village in the Eastern Cape has shocked the nation, with increasing calls for more police protection.
Police said the motive remained unclear for the shooting where people had gathered for a traditional ceremony when they were gunned down.
The victims were between 14 and 64 years old, according to South African media. Fifteen were women and several were shot in the head.
Previously the country’s Police Minister Senzo Mchunu had said three people had been arrested in connection with the killing, but it was unclear whether their jailing was related to the suspect who appeared in court on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, on Monday, six security guards about to go on patrol near a school were shot dead in another village in the same province.
South Africa’s per capita homicide rate is one of the highest in the world, with official statistics putting the number at 6 198 between April and June.
