THE National Prosecuting Authority says charges against the man who was released by a court after he allegedly poured petrol on his ex-wife and then set her alight might be reinstated as early as next week.

The NPA has also ordered the prosecutor who handled the case at the Brakpan magistrate's court to submit a report explaining why Bossie Phungula was allowed to get off scot-free.

"If we are not happy with the explanation we get, heads will roll," NPA spokesman Mthunzi Mhanga said.

"We are working closely with the police, who have made an undertaking to speed up the outstanding investigations so that our prosecutors can reinstate the case," he said.

"We are even in touch with the cluster commander of that area."

In July last year Phungula of Geluksdal outside Springs, Ekurhuleni, turned himself in to the police and allegedly admitted to having poured petrol over his former wife, Annie Phungula, before setting her alight.

He was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

But last Friday Phungula walked free after the court struck his case off the roll due to a "lack of evidence".

Prosecutor Dick Hattingh said one of the other reasons the matter was struck off the roll was that Annie's postmortem report was only submitted in April this year after the court had already decided to withdraw the case.

According to court papers, Annie was also stabbed five times early on July 15 last year before she was set alight.

Bossie allegedly did this in front of their children and the nanny, whom he had locked in the house.