Man sets house alight after argument with wife

A man named William Modiga burned sections of his house in Soshanguve Block XX. This followed a heated argument with his wife, Sibongile Modiga on 28 March 2016.

On the evening of 28 March, Modiga arrived home intoxicated and searched for his gun. The gun had been taken by his wife who feared for her life after her husband threatened to kill her.

He then became infuriated and went out to purchase petrol in the early hours of the morning. When he came back, he set the house on fire.

“His wife smelled the smoke and woke up her two children.” This is according to the couple’s neighbour, Justin Chauke.

“His wife and children knocked at my home at two o’clock in the morning asking for a place to stay. When I went outside all I saw was fire and smoke. All the furniture and belongings including birth certificates of their children and their identity documents caught fire,” he added Chauke.

According to Chauke,  Modiga left the scene. “She mentioned that her husband wanted to burn her and the children alive because he had had enough of her,” he said.

“We called the police and they helped us to stop the fire using sand and water. After stopping the fire, the police entered the house to search for trapped people and valuable belongings.

Everyone was safe. The police did the investigation the following day. His wife and children slept at our place for three nights until William’s family collected her to live with them,” said Bongani Chauke, Justin Chauke’s brother.

Chauke’s brother said the police have not arrested Modiga. He mentioned that the children are both in primary school and are under the age of ten.

Inspector Mahlangu from Akasia Police Station said “in cases involving arson, the person who initiated the crime must be arrested. For further information regarding the case a docket number, and the victim must be present.”