Man charged with 'murder' of his wife and children following arrest in South Africa to be extradited to UK for trial

By OLIVIA DAY, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA and CAITLIN LENG and VIVEK CHAUDHARY IN ZIMBABWE Published: 14:29, 12 July 2026 | Updated: 14:37, 12 July 2026 A British IT expert charged with three counts of murder over the deaths of his wife and two daughters following a multinational police hunt is set to stand trial in the UK.  Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, was arrested in Johannesburg on Friday after the bodies of 42-year-old Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 15-year-old Natalie and five-year-old Nala were found at a £1.3million home in Great Denham, Bedfordshire, on Tuesday. Detectives released CCTV footage of the businessman, known to his friends as Mark, at London's Heathrow Airport where he boarded a flight to Zimbabwe. Following a five-day hunt, the BMW-driving father-of-two was traced to the Kensington area of Johannesburg where he was apparently staying with relatives. Friends said Tshuma and his wife Zandile, 42, were in the process of divorcing, despite keeping up appearances by attending their daughter's sports day together.  Zandile, a successful cyber security expert, is understood to have initiated the divorce, citing her husband's allegedly controlling behaviour. However, Tshuma told friends he did not want a divorce and could not live without his wife and children. Footage of his dramatic arrest shows Tshuma being bundled into a police van by authorities with his wrists and ankles both handcuffed.  British prosecutors then authorised murder charges against Tshuma, a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage, following his arrest in South Africa. British IT expert Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma has been charged with three counts of murder over the deaths of his wife and two daughters following a multinational police hunt Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, known as Zandile, and her daughters Nala, five, and Natalie, 15, were found dead at a house in Bedfordshire Detectives released CCTV footage of the businessman, known to his friends as Mark, at London's Heathrow Airport where he boarded a flight to Zimbabwe (pictured) South African Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said Tshuma will be extradited to face trial in the UK once the relevant paperwork is completed.  'The teams are working quite hard around the clock so that the extradition requests are done and the paperwork is done in time,' she told reporters.  Tshuma is due to appear in a Johannesburg court on Monday. The major development comes after detectives in the UK collaborated with their counterparts in Zimbabwe and Interpol in South Africa to track down Tshuma.    An Interpol Red Notice was issued on Thursday. Police then received a tip-off from a family member as to his whereabouts, leading to his arrest a day later.  It is believed that after arriving in Johannesburg, and before his arrest in South Africa, Tshuma had travelled to neighbouring Zimbabwe, the country where he grew up and where he and Zandile met before moving to Britain to study at university – and headed straight for Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city. On Wednesday, neighbours spotted Tshuma at the family home in the city's Luveve district, with locals claiming they had seen him walking along its bustling high street. Many of Zandile's family still live in Luveve, where she was born and raised. A South African Police Service spokesperson said suspect Tshuma was traced 'within a matter of hours' to Kensington by the force's multi-disciplinary team Suspect Tshuma was spotted on Wednesday walking along Luveve's bustling high street  A close friend previously revealed that Tshuma and Zandile had met when she was in her late teens, and continued their relationship after he left for the UK in 2001 when he went to study Computing Informatics at the University of Plymouth.  After finishing her own studies and working in Zimbabwe and Tanzania, she eventually joined him in 2009. The couple married a year later in a ceremony at a gaming lodge on the outskirts of Bulawayo, which was attended by around 300 guests. In the UK, the couple enjoyed a comfortable upper middle-class life in their lavish home, which had a swimming pool, four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Tshuma earned £100,000 as a senior IT expert and sent his children to private schools: Natalie was at the £20,000-a-year Bedford Girls School while Nala attended Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School. The IT expert also owns and runs a property business called Nexus Trove Holdings, which he operated from his home in Great Denham. Accounts show the business had assets of just over £1million and, in 2024, the firm, of which he is sole director, made a profit of close to £50,000. It also owned a five-bedroom detached home in Kempston, Bedfordshire, worth £625,000. Meanwhile, Zandile was a high-achieving director specialising in financial crime, fraud investigations and anti-money laundering. She previously worked in global banking and consulting for companies including Barclays and KPMG and was vice chair of the Female Fraud Forum. Her parents Valile, a retired teacher, and father Livingstone, who used to work for Zimbabwe railways, still reside in the same yellow bungalow she once called home, and where friends and relatives gather to pay their respects. A close friend said: 'The whole community is grieving for the killings of our three angels. We are all devastated and heartbroken. Bedfordshire Police previously described its investigation as 'incredibly complex' as tributes were left outside the house on Wednesday A woman, who laid flowers outside the house on Tuesday evening, said: 'We are really sorry to lose her, she was such a gracious mother' A forensics police officer was pictured at the property where the bodies were found on Monday 'These are incredibly difficult times for the family but hopefully God will grant them peace and comfort now that Tshuma has been arrested.' Another woman among those laying flowers outside the family home in Great Denham said: 'We're really sorry to lose her. She was such a gracious mother.' Gemma Gibson, Headmistress of Bedford Girls' School, said of 15-year-old Natalie that she was 'a bright and accomplished Year 10 student.  Ms Gibson said: 'She was fun loving, full of life and had a positive impact on everyone she came into contact with; she will be remembered with warmth and affection. 'Her tragic death, together with that of her loving mother and younger sister, who were also well known to many of us, is a hugely devastating shock to all at Bedford Girls' School and the wider Harpur Trust group of schools. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Natalie's wider family, friends and all of those impacted by this terrible news.' Headteacher Jo Webster, of Pilgrims Pre Prep School, added of five-year-old Nala: 'Nala was a much-loved member of our school community who brought joy to those around her every day. Many of our staff had known her since she was seven months old and had the privilege of watching her grow. 'Known for her inquisitive and bubbly nature, positivity and wonderful sense of humour, she was a little ray of sunshine. Whether wearing one of her favourite colourful hair accessories, making those around her laugh or taking centre stage in our Pre-School Nativity, Nala brought warmth and happiness wherever she went.  'She had an extraordinary impact on our community and will be remembered with enormous love and affection. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Nala's family, friends and everyone affected by this heart-breaking loss.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.