Suspect alleged to have torched girlfriend still on the run
A GUGULETHU man who allegedly doused his girlfriend in flammable liquid and set her alight for refusing to go sleep with him, is on the run.
Forty-year-old Jacquelene Mpontsana, fondly known as Jacque, had an argument with her 38-yearold boyfriend around 1.50am on Monday.
Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said the circumstances leading the incident were under investigation and the suspect who fled is yet to be arrested.
When the Cape Times visited the scene yesterday, the sitting room of the house where Mpontsana had been set alight was gutted and other rooms in the house were blackened due to the smoke.
The boyfriend’s aunt Yolisa Tingwe, who witnessed the harrowing ordeal said the family was woken up by a loud argument.
“Jacque visited on Sunday like she usually does but her boyfriend was not home and his room was locked. We made space for her to sleep with another family member in the house. The boyfriend came back at midnight demanding they go and sleep together.
“She refused and wanted to know where he had been. He started attacking her. We were woken up by the noise and chased him away because we warned him to never beat her again. After a while he returned and went to the kitchen door, which was faulty and because I knew he would kick it open, we opened it,” said the aunt.
She said Mpontsana was seated on the couch when the man tapped her on the shoulder and when she turned around to look he allegedly poured liquid on her and set her alight.
“I think he hid the lighter because we just saw her engulfed by flames and he ran out. We tried to put out the fire but she was running around the room and to other rooms, screaming. She ran to the bathroom where I think she must have opened the shower. Everything happened so fast. We called police and residents to assist, Jackie and another child were taken out through the window,” she said.
Mpontsana’s brother Mncedisi said his sister died on Monday afternoon and the family was devastated. Anyone with information about the incident can anonymously contact Crime Stop at 0860010111 or SMS Crime Line at 32211.
WESTERN Cape Judge President John Hlophe’s bid to have his colleagues in the Gauteng division not hear the review application for the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) decision was dismissed yesterday.
The first part of his application sought to stop President Cyril Ramaphosa from suspending him, and prevent Parliament from instituting the impeachment process.
Judge Hlophe also wants, in his second application, to review and set aside the decision of the JSC on the grounds that the judicial body was not properly constituted when it took the decision.
Judge Hlophe earlier abandoned his application to interdict both his suspension from office and the institution of the impeachment process against him.
Judge Roland Sutherland noted that Judge Hlophe abandoned the relief in Part A of his application.
Judge Sutherland said Part B of the application would be removed from the roll to allow Judge Hlophe, the JSC and FUL (Freedom Under Law) representatives to agree on a timetable for exchange of affidavits and heads of arguments.
The judge ordered that once an agreement has been reached, his office should be notified, so that “I shall fix the earliest convenient date and allocate a judge to hear the matter”.
The application by FUL to join the Part B of the application was postponed indefinitely, and would be addressed if it was either re-enrolled or argued at the same time as the main application.
No costs for yesterday’s application were granted, but the costs incurred by FUL for the proceedings were reserved for determination at a later time.
Meanwhile, Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has welcomed the abandonment and withdrawal of the urgent application to interdict the National Assembly from going ahead with the impeachment process.
“The Speaker asserted that she will abide by the ruling of the Gauteng Division of the High Court on the matter,” spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said.