SOUTH AFRICA: Tragedy struck an Alberton home on Monday as a woman and her nine-year-old son were fatally attacked, allegedly by their Zimbabwean gardener.

According to Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, the woman’s partner discovered their lifeless, bruised bodies on the floor upon returning home in the evening.

The gardener, wielding an axe, reportedly confronted the partner, leading to a swift response from a security guard who facilitated the gardener’s arrest. The 37-year-old suspect who has not yet been named is set to face two murder charges in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

Steve Mabona, spokesperson for Gauteng Education, shared with Netwerk24 that, based on received information, the victims were preparing for a school prize-giving ceremony at the time of the attack.

The education department has committed to providing trauma counseling at the child’s school in the wake of this devastating incident.