A former top South African rugby player has allegedly hacked three people to death in a revenge attack after his daughter was reportedly gang-raped and infected with HIV.
The 34-year-old, who reportedly played for the Blue Bulls but has not been named, is due to appear in court today (AEDT) in Durban on three murder charges and one of attempted murder.
The three people were reportedly butchered with an axe last week. One person was decapitated and the head found in a dustbin nearly two kilometres away.
It is alleged the man stalked his victims for several days.
A man reported to have escaped from being killed said his attacker said he was avenging the rape of his daughter.
Lamontville resident Khangelani Mdluli, 27, said the man had also said "you infected my daughter with HIV".
A teenager, Siyanda Khumalo, told South Africa's Independent newspaper that he too allegedly narrowly escaped being killed by the man.
"I heard someone walking behind me and when I turned he slowed down," Khumalo, who said he had been walking home from a friend's house about 9pm on Monday last week, told the Independent.
The man told Khumalo to stop walking, but when he sped up instead, the man allegedly threw an axe at his back.
"I tried to duck the axe, but I was hit on the back. When he tried to grab me, I ducked and ran as fast as I could," he said.
"I am so relieved that I can talk about this. If he got me, he would have killed me."
Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Mdunge told a Sowetan newspaper they had recovered an axe "which we believe is the murder weapon, clothes with blood stains and a hired car that we suspect he could have used during the alleged attacks".
"He is currently being detained in one of our police stations. We can't disclose where for security reasons," Mdunge said.
"He will be charged formally with three counts of murder with aggravating circumstances and one of attempted murder."
Under South African law, police are not permitted to name a suspect in a crime until they have appeared in court.
The Cape Argus said the former player's identity was known by journalists but would be withheld to protect his daughter.
http://www.smh.com.au/rug...rges-20110331-1cgwn.html
As I see it, the only things this guy did wrong was to fail and to get caught.