A South African man has been found guilty of locking five people inside a house, including a six month old baby and setting it alight.
The Eastern Cape High Court convicted Masixole Ndzube for torching his girlfriend Kulakazi Mpitipiti, her six month old son Yololwam, her mother Nobesuthu, her sister Bathandwa, and local clergyman Pastor Samkelo Mdingane.
Ndzube was jealous that his girlfriend Kulakazi had started visiting Mdingane’s church frequently, and the two had grown closer.
Ndzube had also identified Mdingane as the person who influenced Mpitipiti to quit alcohol and stop frequenting taverns with him.
This made her avoid Ndzube.
Evidence before the court showed that Mdingane frequently visited the home Mpitipiti shared with the other victims to eat supper and sometimes stay overnight.
On 29 March 2020, after Ndzube and Mpitipiti clashed, she returned home with nasty bruises and then reported a case of assault against him on the same day at the Seymour police station.
The court heard how, on 30 March, Ndzube used five litres of petrol he bought to douse the house before setting it alight, with the victims trapped inside.
All five were burnt beyond recognition and the accused was arrested at his home in the early morning hours of 31 March.
State witnesses Nkosikhona Thafeni and Siyamthanda Mboto told the court that they had tried to rescue the victims, but the flames were too strong.
The incident happened in Joe Slovo Township in the tiny Eastern Cape town of Seymour.
Before burning down the house, the court heard that Ndzube had gone to the pastor’s house, where he broke all the windows.
Two other occupants of the house were not home when the incident happened.
