A 45-year-old man accused of killing his wife and two daughters in the United Kingdom has pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition in South Africa.
Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, also known as Mark Tshuma, was arrested in Johannesburg after fleeing the UK. South African police said he was found in possession of a firearm and ammunition allegedly purchased in the country.
Tshuma appeared before magistrates in Johannesburg for a plea hearing, where he admitted the gun-related charges. He could be sentenced for the offences at a later date.
The Crown Prosecution Service in England has authorised three murder charges against Tshuma in connection with the deaths of his wife, Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and their daughters, Natalie, 15, and Nala, five.
The three victims were found with fatal head injuries at their home in Great Denham, near Bedford, on July 7.
Tshuma is expected to face an extradition hearing in South Africa on Thursday as British authorities seek to bring him back to the UK to face the murder allegations.
The defendant is a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage.
The case came to light after a relative living overseas contacted authorities in England on July 6, expressing concern after being unable to reach the family for several days.
Bedfordshire Police officers conducted a welfare check at an address linked to the family that day before visiting the family home on Carnoustie Drive in the early hours of July 7, where they discovered the bodies.
Coroner’s officers said the mother died from “head injuries”, while the cause of death for both children was recorded as “blunt force head injuries”.
Meanwhile, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating Bedfordshire Police’s contact with the mother and her children before their deaths.
The force made a mandatory referral to the police watchdog on July 7, while the IOPC said it received a separate voluntary conduct referral involving a police constable the following day.
The investigation into the police contact is continuing as South African authorities process the extradition proceedings against Tshuma.
