Nothabo Zandile Tshuma and her children were found after officers forced their way into a £1.3million house in Great Denham near Bedford in July with her husband already having left the country22:05, 09 Sep 2026A man hunted by British police over the deaths of his wife and two daughters has pleaded guilty to firearms offences in South Africa, where he was arrested while on the run.Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma’s guilty pleas to charges of illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition were part of a plea deal, South African prosecutors said. Tshuma also pleaded guilty to an immigration offence for entering South Africa while he was a fugitive.His wife, Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, and their daughters, Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were found dead at their home in Great Denham, near Bedford, on July 6. They had all suffered head injuries.The 45-year-old suspect, who also goes by the name of Mark is believed to have left the country from Heathrow Airport on a British passport two days before the discovery. He is a British citizen of Zimbabwean heritage.South African authorities say they will move to extradite him to the UK after his local court case is concluded. Prosecutors in the UK say he will be charged with three counts of murder.British police say they believe Tshuma left the UK on July 4 and travelled to Zimbabwe and then arrived in South Africa. He was arrested in Johannesburg on July 10 while in possession of a gun and ammunition after Interpol issued a notice for him to be apprehended. South African police have said that they suspect he was going to use the gun to kill himself.In the aftermath of the Great Denham deaths, family friend Leonard, 73, told the Mirror: "They were a lovely family. I am shocked. You don't expect things like this to happen." Talking of Mrs Tshuma, he said: "She was a beautiful kind woman. She worked in IT in London. He worked in IT as well in London. They associated with everyone else. They moved to this house maybe two or three years ago."Mrs Gemma Gibson, headmistress of Bedford Girls' School, paid tribute to tragic Natalie, saying: "Natalie was a bright and accomplished Year 10 student who was dearly loved by everyone at Bedford Girls’ School. She was a talented dancer, musician and keen sportswoman. 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.Article continues below"Our focus remains on supporting our students, families and colleagues; we ask for privacy to allow us time to mourn our loss and support our community in private."When the time is right, we will come together as a community to remember Natalie. As this is still an ongoing police investigation, so we will not be commenting further. "