A jilted man who could not accept that his girlfriend had ended their relationship allegedly went on a rampage, burning down her house before fleeing the scene and leaving her and her son trapped inside.
The incident, which took place during the early hours of Tuesday, 17 February, at Lufule 2 Block 8, remains the talk of the town.
The owner of the house, Ms Pfarelo Madima (43), said she had been in a relationship with the suspect for over three months when she discovered he was cheating on her. After several attempts to resolve their problems, she decided to end the relationship.
That is when the boyfriend allegedly exploded in a fit of rage.
“On that fateful day, I got a piece job that we finished very late at night. I arrived home at around midnight, and on entering my house, I was surprised by my ex-boyfriend, who appeared from nowhere. He was holding a bucket full of petrol and a spade,” Madima said.
Madima said her ex-boyfriend started questioning her about where she had been and why she was coming home so late.
“I explained to him that I was coming from work, but he would not believe me even though I had alibis. He became violent and tried to hack me with a spade, but I fought him off. He then locked the house, doused it with petrol, and set it on fire with the three of us inside. Feeling the intense heat, he opened the door and ran outside. By the grace of God, my son managed to open the door and we escaped unharmed,” she said.
Madima said she lost everything in the fire.
“Everything we had as a family is gone. We are only left with what we are wearing, and the worst part is that he had the nerve to come back and burn my bakkie after burning down the house. I do not even know what to do as I am not working. I will accept any form of assistance,” Madima said.
The local traditional leader, Vhamusanda Vho Aluoneswi Kenneth Mphephu, said the incident had shocked and saddened him.
“I am still struggling to get help for my subjects who lost their homes and everything during the recent devastating floods. We now have to shift our focus and add another family that needs assistance to our list as a result of this manmade disaster,” he said.
Mphephu added that in the space of two years, three houses in the area had been burnt down as a result of couples in conflict. “On the other hand, government is failing us by releasing repeat offenders. The suspect in the latest incident is always in and out of prison. These people should be locked up forever,” he said.
Vhembe SAPS spokesperson Captain Vuledzani Dathi confirmed the incident, saying an arson case had been opened. “The suspect is known, but he is still at large, and police investigations are continuing,” Dathi said.