A man wanted in connection with the deaths of nine people in Sydenham in October 2021 has been arrested in Melmoth, KwaZulu-Natal, almost five years after the killings.

Detectives from the KwaZulu-Natal Murder and Robbery Unit arrested the suspect in the Obuka area of Melmoth on Wednesday night.

The suspect is linked to the deaths of nine people who were killed in separate incidents in Sydenham on October 16, 2021. Six victims were shot dead at a house in the Palmiet Road Informal Settlement, while three others were killed in two separate incidents nearby on the same day. Police believe the attacks were carried out by the same group.

The investigation was subsequently taken over by the Murder and Robbery Unit, which identified two suspects. One of them was traced to Empangeni but resisted arrest and was fatally wounded during an exchange of gunfire with police, according to KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda.

The second suspect remained at large for several years before detectives tracked him down to Obuka in Melmoth. Netshiunda said persistent police efforts eventually led to the suspect being located and arrested at his hiding place.

The suspect is expected to appear before the Durban Magistrates’ Court on Friday, September 25, where he will face multiple murder charges.