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News - Date: 30 August 2002
NZHELELE – A 21-year-old mother is in a critical condition in the Siloam hospital after her house at Matidze Village was petrol-bombed last Friday evening.
Mrs Julia Mulea was asleep with her baby when she heard a knock at the door at about 23:00. She peeped through the window and saw a man, though it was very dark. She could, however, not identify the man and refused to open the door.
A few minutes later the suspect threw a petrol bomb through the window. What happened thereafter is all history, suffice to mention that Mrs Mulea's body had serious burns all over. She sustained her injuries while struggling to get out of the house which was like a blazing inferno. Mirror learnt that Mrs Mulea instinctively and bravely took her baby through the window and ensured that it is safe, before she could think of her own safety.
Her husband, Mr Ntshavheni Rasimphi was at a local beer lounge, when a boy alerted him of the horrific incident. Upon arrival at home, Mr Rasimphi found his wife seriously burnt. Members of the community then took her to the Siloam Hospital. An angry Rasimphi then started accusing several people as possible arsonists. In a dramatic turn of events, Rasimphi himself was then arrested by the SAPS at Dzanani, only to be released on free bail the next day.
The ward councillor, Mr Philip Phaswana visited the family and reported the incident to the Makhado Municipality Mayor, Cllr Brighton Tlakula.
A disaster committee was formed at Nzhelele and will deal with the matter. Cllr Phaswana herein appeals to members of the community to help the family with clothes and other essentials as the fire burnt everything in the house to ashes.
According to him that was the first petrol bomb attack in the area. The community will hold a meeting on Saturday to discuss the matter.
Police spokesperson in the Far North, Capt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi slammed the attack. Mushavhanamadi said that an intensive investigation has been staged and promised that the suspect will be arrested soon.
According to him only jealousy might have been the motive behind the attack. "Fighting crime is the duty of both the police and members of the community, and I hope that people will provide the police with information leading to the arrest of perpetrators," Mushavhanamadi said.
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