Two KZN teens arrested after Ethiopian shopkeeper found stabbed to death

Two teenagers have been arrested after a 23‑year‑old Ethiopian shopkeeper was found stabbed to death inside his container tuck shop in Matiwaneskop earlier this month.

Police say robbery suspected

KwaZulu‑Natal police said the killing is believed to have been motivated by robbery. Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda gave details of the timeline and arrests.

What the police said

“On Thursday, 25 June 2026, police responded to reports of murder, and when they arrived at the scene, they found the deceased’s body lying in a pool of blood with stab wounds. The motive of the killing is suspected to be robbery,”

Netshiunda said the suspects are aged 18 and 19. He said investigating officers launched a search and, with the cooperation of community members, the suspects were located and arrested at Elandslaagte on Sunday, 28 June 2026.

Court appearance and wider enforcement

Netshiunda said the two suspects are expected to appear in the Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 30 June 2026.

He also said police in the UThukela District arrested 20 undocumented foreign nationals from six different African countries on Sunday, 28 June 2026. According to Netshiunda, those individuals will be processed and handed over to the Department of Home Affairs for further processing and deportation.

Separate double murder under investigation

In a separate case, KZN police opened a double murder investigation after two foreign nationals were found stabbed to death in the Sangweni Isithebe area in the early hours of Sunday. Police said the incident followed a drunken altercation outside a tavern.

“Information available at this stage suggests that the two deceased were walking from a tavern under the influence of alcohol when an altercation ensued, and they reportedly started stabbing each other.”

Netshiunda said a third person who witnessed the incident and shares the same nationality as the victims is being questioned by police.