Three people, including two children, burnt to death when their home was set alight by a mob in Esikhawini, north of Durban, over the weekend, KwaZulu-Natal police said.
Captain Musa Khaba said on Monday the incident occurred at about 1am on Sunday at Mandlankala reserve near Esikhawini.
The mob poured petrol on two rondavels and a six-roomed house and set them on fire. The group then started shooting occupants of the houses through the windows.
Sixty-year-old Miriam Fakude, five-year-old Mkhulu Sithabiso Gasa and two-year-old Sithandile Zikhali burnt to death.
Two other members of the family were shot and wounded and were taken to Empangeni hospital.
Seven other family members, who were in the house, managed to escape unharmed.
The rondawels and the house were burnt to the ground.
Khaba said the motive for the attack was unknown.
In another incident, at least 19 huts were burnt by a mob around midnight on Sunday at the Mbizana reserve in the Mbongolwane area near Eshowe.
The huts belonged to Msomi and Gcwenza families. No one was injured during the attack.
The attack occurred while the families were sleeping in the bushes nearby, following threats of violence in the area.
Khaba said the two incidents were not linked as the places where they occurred were 70km apart. – Sapa