Woman set alight in car outside Benoni preschool in ‘domestic dispute’

A woman is fighting for her life in hospital after being set alight, allegedly during a domestic dispute, in Benoni, Ekurhuleni, on Monday.

The owner of a preschool where the incident occurred told TimesLIVE that the woman had just dropped off her child when a man approached her vehicle and tried to pull her out.

“She was getting into the car and he tried to pull her out of the vehicle and then he poured petrol into the vehicle. She then tried to stop him from pouring petrol in the car and he poured petrol over her as well. He later set the car alight but because she was so close to the car, she also caught alight.

“The child had already entered the school. It happened in the parking lot,” the owner, who asked not be named, said.

The preschool owner said the man then got into a taxi and allegedly attempted to run over the woman. “[Another person] was also in the car and he tried to run them both over. The woman was alight. He then jumped into the burning vehicle himself but later jumped out on the other side.

“He then got back into his taxi and drank something, but that’s when the police arrived.”

She said the woman was rushed to hospital in a critical condition and the other person suffered minor burn wounds.

Gauteng police confirmed they were investigating an attempted murder case after a 27-year-old woman was allegedly set alight by her boyfriend. The suspect, 40, was also injured and was taken to hospital where he is under police guard.

An additional charge of malicious damage to property will be added.

At this stage, the motive for the attack is under investigation.

TimesLIVE