THREE women died yesterday after they were badly burnt in a shack at the Thembelihle informal settlement in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, on Wednesday night.
Cebisile Nkosi, 27, and her two friends Sibongile Ngobese, 24, and Nompumelelo Zulu, also in her 20s, died at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital yesterday morning after sustaining serious burn wounds when the shack they were sleeping in was allegedly set on fire by Nkosi's jealous boyfriend.
Neighbour Thabo Mokoena said he heard loud screams and when he went outside to investigate he realised that Nkosi's shack was on fire.
"I rushed to check what was happening but the shack was already engulfed by huge flames and I could not get inside," he said.
He said he and another neighbour tried to kick the door open but it was locked from the inside. He said he ran back to his shack and brought a spade to cut the corrugated iron sheets to drag the women out.
"We managed to get two women out, but the other was trapped inside," he said.
Mokoena said he could smell petrol and believed the shack was deliberately set on fire.
He said Nkosi's boyfriend, whose name is known to Sowetan, allegedly told his friends that he was going to kill her because she had dumped him.
"Sometimes he would come to her shack and kick the door and scream that he would kill her. She no longer loved him but he did not want to accept it," he said.
Nkosi's common-law husband Peter Mazibuko said he knew that his wife had an affair but when he asked her about it, she denied it.
"I'm living in Mpumalanga and my wife was staying here to look after her dead mother's shack. But I heard that she was seeing someone else and that person was beating her," said Mazibuko.
He said his wife's ID book was found in the man's shack. The couple had a 6-year-old daughter.
Nkosi's brother Fanie said the family would let the law take its course.
Police spokesperson Captain Mbulaheni Netshivhodza confirmed the incident saying police were investigating three counts of murder and a charge of arson.
"The suspect is known but is yet to be arrested," said Netshivhodza.
Arson suspected as 3 women die in fire
THREE women died yesterday after they were badly burnt in a shack at the Thembelihle informal settlement in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, on Wednesday night.
Cebisile Nkosi, 27, and her two friends Sibongile Ngobese, 24, and Nompumelelo Zulu, also in her 20s, died at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital yesterday morning after sustaining serious burn wounds when the shack they were sleeping in was allegedly set on fire by Nkosi's jealous boyfriend.
Neighbour Thabo Mokoena said he heard loud screams and when he went outside to investigate he realised that Nkosi's shack was on fire.
"I rushed to check what was happening but the shack was already engulfed by huge flames and I could not get inside," he said.
He said he and another neighbour tried to kick the door open but it was locked from the inside. He said he ran back to his shack and brought a spade to cut the corrugated iron sheets to drag the women out.
"We managed to get two women out, but the other was trapped inside," he said.
Mokoena said he could smell petrol and believed the shack was deliberately set on fire.
He said Nkosi's boyfriend, whose name is known to Sowetan, allegedly told his friends that he was going to kill her because she had dumped him.
"Sometimes he would come to her shack and kick the door and scream that he would kill her. She no longer loved him but he did not want to accept it," he said.
Nkosi's common-law husband Peter Mazibuko said he knew that his wife had an affair but when he asked her about it, she denied it.
"I'm living in Mpumalanga and my wife was staying here to look after her dead mother's shack. But I heard that she was seeing someone else and that person was beating her," said Mazibuko.
He said his wife's ID book was found in the man's shack. The couple had a 6-year-old daughter.
Nkosi's brother Fanie said the family would let the law take its course.
Police spokesperson Captain Mbulaheni Netshivhodza confirmed the incident saying police were investigating three counts of murder and a charge of arson.
"The suspect is known but is yet to be arrested," said Netshivhodza.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos