Jealous boyfriend sets fire to flat, leaving girlfriend, friends in peril
The entire house was destroyed expect the bathroom at the back.
Image: Kim Swartz
A Bonteheuwel mother shares her harrowing experience of nearly being burned alive by her jealous boyfriend, who doused her and her friends with petrol.
She described how a gathering with friends nearly turned deadly, leaving three people hospitalised after the flat burnt down.
The girlfriend, who asked not to be named, told the Cape Argus' sister publication, Daily Voice that she had been dating the 28-year-old boyfriend since April. She moved into his family home in Betsy Court, Heideveld, a few months ago along with his siblings, two family friends and her two small children. He was arrested at the weekend.
She said there were red flags during the start of their relationship, but that she didn’t expect things to escalate to this level.
A week before the November 21 fire, she was cleaning their room when she discovered a small bottle in a drawer. At first she thought it was drugs, but quickly realised it was petrol.
She explained: “As I’m cleaning, he’s lying there and suddenly said ‘daai is vir jou, ek gaan jou uitbrand.’ (That is for you, I am going to set you alight).
“He always talked nonsense so I didn’t take him seriously.”
She said she tried to throw the bottle away because there were children in the house, but he grabbed it back. One of their friends eventually tossed it out, but she later learned he retrieved it without their knowledge.
A week later, the couple and friends were hanging out at a residence. She said felt uneasy throughout the evening while others used drugs.
The bathroom and spare room floors were still wet from the water used to douse the fire.
Image: Kim Swartz
She alleges that her boyfriend accused her and another friend of having an affair and that she denied the accusations during an argument.
She said when she returned to the flat and checked on her children, that was when the trouble began: “As I came out of the room, it was net petrol waar jy kyk, (there was jus petrol everywhere) he was just throwing it over all of us.”
A man inside the house lit a cigarette which caused further damage. She explained that she was covered with petrol and that one man was already burning.
She managed to remove her sweater and jeans and jumped into action to save her children.
They managed to get out by jumping out of the bedroom window.
According to neighbours, her boyfriend allegedly locked the front door and threw away the key and left the scene.
City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse, said the fire destroyed the flat and the neighbouring unit partially damaged. Three men were taken to hospital.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed that a 28-year-old man was arrested for arson and will appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court once charged.
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Cape Argus