Three men have been arrested in connection with the death of the businesswoman Miriam Khoza in Lethabong near Rustenburg on Sunday, North West police said.

"The three have been arrested after community members tipped the police about a house they suspected [was connected to the killers]," said head of North West Provincial Detective Services Jan Mabula.

He said items suspected of being stolen from Khoza's house were found in the house in Slovo Extension where two men were arrested.

The other man was not in the house at the time but was arrested in the same area.

The men arrested are between the ages of 28 and 35.

Items stolen include DVD's, a television set, groceries and cutlery.

Khoza, who owned a supermarket, butchery and liquor store, was found dead on Christmas Day at her home in Vula section.

Four other people ? a man in his forties and three teenage boys ? were also killed.

Her Nissan Navara was stolen and found abandoned in Brits.

According to Reverend Jacob Zitha people became worried when Khoza did not answer her cellphone and was not responding to knocks on her door on Christmas day.

Zitha said that a commemoration service for her late husband was being organised to take place at the Khoza family's residence.

"I went there to establish the time but on arrival I found the gate wide open.

"It was bent. I knocked on the door and there was no response. I hooted and still nobody responded," Zitha said.

He said that he then called Khoza's younger sister who came to the house and opened the garage.

Pools of blood were found inside the garage.

They then called the police who broke down the door and found the five dead inside.

Zhita said the family intended to bury the five on Tuesday, probably in Maputo, Mozambique, where many of Khoza's family members lived.