Riot Hlatshwayo

Riot Hlatshwayo

Two brothers were arrested yesterday soon after they had allegedly assaulted a 90-year-old woman and killed her 55-year-old son in Elukwatini, Mpumalanga.

The brothers, aged 22 and 25, allegedly broke into the elderly woman's house at 1am.

They woke up the family and demanded to see a woman who was sleeping in the house.

Mpumalanga police said they broke down the door and shouted at the family.

"The men forced the family, including the supposed girlfriend, to give them food.

"They started arguing with the girl while they were eating and when the elders intervened they were assaulted with iron rods," Mpumalanga police spokesman Superintendent Abie Khoabane said.

The man died instantly and his mother was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The attackers ran away but police soon cornered and arrested them.

Khoabane said the suspects were expected to appear in the local magistrate's court.

They would face charges of murder, attempted murder and housebreaking, he said.