A suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder of Viwe Dalingozi‚ who died on Sunday from severe burn wounds.

Captain Xoli Mbele said on Wednesday the 27-year-old male was arrested in Limpopo on Tuesday night on charges of murder and arson.

“The suspect had an argument with his girlfriend and poured her with petrol while she was sleeping on the bed” in the Johannesburg city centre in the early hours of Friday October 26‚ he said. She succumbed to her injuries in hospital on October 28.

The Sowetan newspaper reported on Tuesday that the pair had allegedly argued about her being in contact with an ex-lover.

Her uncle‚ Fezile Dalingozi‚ was quoted in the Sowetan as describing the 31-year-old as a frank‚ warm and welcoming person who was loved by her family and friends.

Viwe moved to Johannesburg from the Eastern Cape four years ago and was an administrative clerk for a doctor’s practice‚ the newspaper said.

Mbele said: “The suspect was on the run until the long arm of the law apprehended him. The investigation is under way and the suspect is appearing tomorrow (Thursday) in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.

“We would like to thank community members for being our eyes and ears in the fight against crime. Working together . . . yields positive results.”