View of a fire in the Cerrado savanna in Barreiras, western of the Bahia state, Brazil, taken on October 1, 2023
AFP

KEY POINTS

Two suspects set a house on fire, which killed two women as they were tied up in the bedrooms. The third woman managed to run away from the house.

The house, located in Gauteng province's Soweto township, was attacked by two suspects, one of them was armed with a gun, covered their faces with a mask. They sprayed petrol in the entire house and set on fire on Christmas Eve as they demanded a car from the victims.

Palesa Mogotsi, 43 and her mother Martha, 70 was found dead by Joburg Emergency Management Services. The spokesperson of the emergency services, Xoli Khumalo confirmed that they witnessed a five-bedroom house on fire on Sunday night.

"Two people unfortunately succumbed to death in the incident: (2 females estimated to be about 70 and 43 years)," Khumalo said, IOL reported. "One other patient was transported to Baragwanath Hospital. Gauteng EMS made the declaration of death, while the SAPS and JMPD were on scene."

The spokesperson added, "The cause of incident is under investigation by both SAPS and EMS inspectors."

Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, Gauteng police spokesperson also confirmed the incident and said that they are investigation the case of arson, double murder as well as attempted murder.

"Police responded to a complaint of a house that was on fire in Orlando East. After the fire was extinguished by the fire fighters, police discovered bodies of two women who were burned beyond recognition," Masondo added.

According to Masondo, the third woman who managed to escape also had burn wounds and taken to the hospital for medical care.

A neighbor disclosed anonymously that they are afraid who will be targeted next, revealing Mogotsi's home was attacked with stones last week by unknown people.

"We are really hurt and frightened by this, we are scared and it has made Christmas sad for this community," the neighbor said. "We don't understand why this is happening because they said to them they must apologize, but nobody understands for what, we don't know who did this and why."

The neighbor added, "We want the police to find them quickly and we hope someone who knows something will help the police with this case."

Such cases are not new in South Africa as previously gunmen opened fire at Popo Molefe informal settlement near Rustenburg city, which killed nine people and injured eight.

Last month, heavily armed criminals broke into the KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department's office in Durban and raped three female security officers.

Two women were charred to death in Gauteng province's Soweto township after a couple of men allegedly set their house on fire on Christmas Eve.

Palesa Mogotsi, 43, and her mother Martha, 70, were found dead by Joburg Emergency Management Services (JEMS) in their five-bedroom house, which had a total of three occupants. The third woman, said to be a family friend, managed to escape, and was transported to Baragwanath Hospital.

"Two people unfortunately succumbed to death in the incident: (2 females estimated to be about 70 and 43 years)," Xoli Khumalo, JEMS spokesperson, said according to IOL.

Khumalo confirmed fire services were dispatched to the area at about 9.35pm on Sunday night, where they found the five-bedroom house on fire.

The suspects, one of them armed with a gun, had covered their faces with a mask, and allegedly tied up the occupants in the bedrooms before setting the living room alight by pouring the petrol. They demanded a car from the victims, while asking about whereabouts of Martha's husband.

Gauteng EMS made the declaration of death, while the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) were on scene.

Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, Gauteng police spokesperson, said the police were probing the cause of incident, adding they were investigating the case as arson, double murder and attempted murder.

Meanwhile, a neighbor revealed anonymously that Mogotsi's home was attacked with stones last week by unknown people and the community was living in fear.

"We are really hurt and frightened by this, we are scared and it has made Christmas sad for this community," the neighbor said. "We don't understand why this is happening because they said to them they must apologize, but nobody understands for what, we don't know who did this and why."

"We want the police to find them quickly and we hope someone who knows something will help the police with this case," the neighbor added.

Such cases were not new in South Africa as previously gunmen had opened fire at Popo Molefe informal settlement near Rustenburg city, which killed nine people and injured eight.

Last month, heavily armed criminals broke into the KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department's office in Durban and raped three female security officers.

Read more