A man accused of the murder and attempted murder of his two stepchildren in upper Tongaat on Boxing Day will make his first court appearance on Monday.

The 39-year-old was arrested in Istopa on Friday after information led police to his whereabouts.

He will appear at the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on charges of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, malicious damage to property, and intimidation.

The farm worker allegedly strangled his three-year-old stepson to death after assaulting the boy’s mother and nine-year-old brother in the early morning of December 26 during a domestic dispute.

He reportedly attacked the older sibling with a panga, leaving the child with serious injuries to his face and head. He was later found lying injured on the side of the road near his home. The younger child, however, went missing.

The nine-year-old was taken to Stanger Hospital for treatment, while the search for his brother continued.

SAPS, various law enforcement agencies and private security companies searched the area for the missing child after the incident, but called off the search at 20:30 owing to poor visibility.

The next morning, information was received suggesting the suspect was hiding in the Umhlali area, where Tongaat and Umhlali SAPS found and arrested him.

The search resumed the following morning until the remains of the three-year-old were found in a sugar cane field.

The suspect is currently held at the Westville Correctional Centre awaiting his first court appearance on Monday.