A British man wanted over the alleged killing of his wife and two daughters has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition in South Africa.
Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, also known as Mark Tshuma, appeared before a Johannesburg magistrates’ court for a plea hearing after being arrested in the city.
He is accused of killing his wife, Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and their daughters, Natalie, 15, and five-year-old Nala.
The three were discovered dead at their home in Great Denham, near Bedford, on 7 July.
South African authorities said Tshuma had obtained the weapon and ammunition locally before his arrest after travelling from the United Kingdom.
The Crown Prosecution Service has approved three counts of murder against him in England, with proceedings to have him returned to the UK expected to begin at an extradition hearing in South Africa on Thursday.
Tshuma, a British national of Zimbabwean descent, could be sentenced separately for the firearm-related offences.
The case came to light after a family member living abroad alerted authorities on 6 July, having been unable to reach the household for several days.
Bedfordshire Police conducted a welfare visit to an address associated with the family that day.
Officers later went to the Carnoustie Drive residence in the early hours of 7 July, where they found the three victims.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is examining the police force’s previous dealings with the woman and her children before their deaths.
Bedfordshire Police referred the matter to the watchdog on 7 July, while a separate voluntary referral involving a police constable was submitted the following day.
Coroner’s officers said the mother sustained fatal head trauma, while the girls died from blunt-force injuries to their heads.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong