A MPUMALANGA man who allegedly abducted and murdered his 27-year-old wife swallowed poison when police approached him at a relative's home.

Maloka Victor Lekalakala, 30, of Vaalbank near Siyabuswa allegedly kidnapped his estranged wife, Maria Lesetja Masola, and their seven-month-old son Piet from her parents' home on Saturday evening.

Masola's bloodied body was found dumped in a partly demolished house behind an RDP settlement later that night. She had allegedly been raped.

Piet was earlier found abandoned in the dark, two streets away.

Vaalbank police spokesperson Inspector Vusi Ntuli yesterday confirmed Lekalakala's arrest at a relative's house in Lefiso village.

Ntuli said Lekalakala was nabbed after police received a tip-off about his whereabouts from the deceased's family.

Investigators went to the house on Tuesday morning, and when Lekalakala spotted them, he ran to the back of the house and drank madudula - an insecticide.

He was taken to the Mmametlhake Hospital in a serious condition and could not speak. He's still receiving treatment at the hospital under police guard.

His condition was yesterday described as satisfactory and he was able to talk.

The deceased's 10-year-old son allegedly saw his father and another man dragging his mother in the street shortly after his younger brother was found.

He was on his way tobuy airtime at about 10.30pm.

The deceased's sister, Sesinyana Masola, said: "Maria's body had a bite wound on the cheek, another on the throat and blood was coming from behind her left ear. She also had a big blood spot below her left breast."

Lekalakala had allegedly also severely assaulted Masola on February 24. She was admitted to hospital and was discharged twodays later.

He was arrested for the assault on February 28 and released on bail the following day.