A 24-YEAR-OLD KwaZulu-Natal man has appeared in Pinetown Magistrate's Court on charges related to the massacre of a family of five in Marianhill earlier this month.
Mbongiseni Brian Shozi has been charged with murder and the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
He was one of two men sought in connection with the massacre.
When police tried to arrest them in Umbumbulu last week, they allegedly opened fire and a shootout ensued, during which Shozi escaped. The second suspect was killed.
Shozi was later apprehended.
Police said Shozi was being held in custody.
His bail application is expected to be heard on 24 October.
The five family members, aged between 19 and 34, were accosted by gunmen before they were shot dead in Nteke on October 5.
In a separate incident that occurred three days before the Marianhill massacre, eight people – two women and six children – were shot and killed in Amatimatolo in Umzinyathi.
Their home was later set alight.
