Ndodana Tshuma was admitted to illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition after he was arrested in Johannesburg following his flight from the UK.
Johannesburg, South Africa (Running Africa) — A British man accused of killing his wife and two young daughters in England has pleaded guilty to firearm and ammunition offenses in South Africa, where he was arrested after leaving the United Kingdom.
Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, appeared before a Johannesburg magistrates’ court for a plea hearing and admitted the gun-related offenses ahead of an extradition hearing over the killings.
Tshuma has not been convicted of the three deaths, and the murder allegations remain before the courts.
Ndodana Tshuma Admits South Africa Firearm Offenses
South African authorities arrested Tshuma in Johannesburg after he traveled from Britain.
Police said he was found with a firearm and ammunition that he had acquired in South Africa.
Tshuma pleaded guilty to the firearm and ammunition offenses and could face a separate sentence in South Africa for those charges.
UK Prosecutors Authorize Three Murder Charges
Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service has authorized three murder charges against Tshuma over the deaths of his wife, Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and their daughters Natalie, 15, and Nala, five.
The three were found with fatal head injuries at their home in Great Denham, near Bedford, England, on July 7.
Tshuma, a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage, is accused of killing all three before subsequently traveling to South Africa.
The allegations have not resulted in a murder conviction, and he is entitled to contest the charges in court.
South Africa Extradition Hearing Set for Thursday
An extradition hearing is scheduled to take place in South Africa on Thursday as authorities seek Tshuma’s return to Britain to face the three murder charges.
The proceedings are separate from the South African firearm case in which he has entered guilty pleas.
The extradition process will determine whether Tshuma can be returned to the UK to stand trial over the deaths of his wife and daughters.
Until those proceedings are concluded, the allegations surrounding the killings remain unproven in court.
