SA police arrest man 'preparing to flee' after axe murders

Police in South Africa's Eastern Cape province have arrested a man they suspect in the brutal murder of his wife and their five children.

An axe found at the scene of crime is believed to have been used to hack the 42-year-old woman and her children, aged between six months and 10 years, to death.

The suspect was arrested on Thursday night as he attempted to return to his home country on Zimbabwe, police said in a statement.

"The suspect must now face the law. Crimes against Women and Children are a top priority of the South African Police Service", provincial police boss Lieutenant General Liziwe Ntshinga is quoted as saying in the statement.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: TimesLive