A mother and her two children whose bodies were discovered at their Bedfordshire home last week died as a result of blunt force trauma, a post-mortem examination has found.

Police discovered Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and daughters Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, last Monday after concerns were raised that they had not been seen for several days.

A murder investigation was launched and three days later the Crown Prosecution Service authorised three charges of murder against Mrs Tshuma’s husband Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, known as Mark.

The BMW-driving suspect sparked a five-day manhunt after disappearing abroad from the £1.3million home he shared with his family and was eventually arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The 45-year-old remains remanded in custody after appearing at Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court today.

The court heard the fugitive was cornered by elite police at a house in a smart suburb of the city and was found to be in possession of an illegally-bought handgun and two live bullets.

Detective Inspector Lee Martin, senior investigating officer, said: ‘This case has attracted a huge amount of media coverage and we aware of international reports circulating which contain some speculation about this case.

‘With three murder charges authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service, proceedings around this case remain active and we are not able to provide any further detail at this stage.

Police discovered Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and daughters Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, last Monday after concerns were raised that they had not been seen for several days

‘We continue to work with the CPS and international partners as the case progresses.’

Following the discovery of the bodies at the family home in Great Denham, detectives released CCTV footage of the businessman at London’s Heathrow Airport where he boarded a flight to Zimbabwe.

The father-of-two was traced to the Kensington area of Johannesburg where he was apparently staying with relatives.

Friends said Tshuma and his wife were in the process of divorcing, despite keeping up appearances by attending their daughter’s sports day together.

Zandile, a successful cyber security expert who is a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage, 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 family.

Footage of his dramatic arrest on Friday shows him being bundled into a police van by a highly trained police unit known as the Hawks, with his wrists and ankles both cuffed.

South African police revealed outside Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court that the suspect had been caught with an unlicensed firearm and the bullets.

Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, remains remanded in custody after appearing at Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court today

Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said after the hearing: ‘We are now told that upon arrival in South Africa he visited one of the townships where a firearm was sold to him along with bullets.

‘We have a separate investigation into who those suspects are who sold him an unlicensed firearm and a number of lines of inquiry are being followed on that.

‘I can also confirm that we have received a provisional extradition request from Interpol in Manchester through to Interpol in Pretoria to return him to the UK.

‘This would include the warrant of arrest issued by UK authorities and we need to receive the full case file and supporting evidence for the extradition.’

South African Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said yesterday that 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.

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.

The bodies were found at the family’s £1.3million home in Great Denham, Bedfordshire

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 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 has 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.

Bedfordshire Police released images of the suspect at Heathrow Airport

The IT expert is also the sole director of 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, made a profit of close to £50,000. It also owns 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 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.

‘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.’

Tshuma earned £100,000 as a senior IT expert and sent his children to private schools. His wife was a high-achieving director specialising in financial crime, fraud investigations and anti-money laundering.

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.’