A 50-year-old woman is fighting for her life after she was set alight in Mamelodi, allegedly by her boyfriend.

The incident occurred last Wednesday in Mamelodi East, Section 16, at about 19:30 when the 55-year-old man reportedly went to Lindiwe Zitha’s home.

Family spokesperson Khabo Zitha says the accused was arrested the following day when he was found seeking help at a local clinic after suffering serious burns to his hands.

She explains they found the accused at the clinic, but that he ran to Mamelodi East Police Station to hand himself over to the police.

“No one in the family knows the boyfriend, but we were told that he and my sister had been dating for quite some time. We only found out now that he was also bullying her,” adds Zitha.

“He threatened to kill her on several occasions, sometimes forced her to sleep over, and demanded money from her.

“On the night of the incident, the accused found my sister in the kitchen and poured petrol all over her body and set her alight,” she alleges.

“He then tried to set cars outside the house alight before he fled the scene.

“My sister ran to the other room, and her son, who was trying to put out the fire, also suffered serious burns on his hands,” says Zitha.

Zitha adds that her sister was rushed to Wilgers Hospital, where she was admitted to the ICU in critical condition.

She sustained severe burn wounds all over her body.

The accused made his first appearance at the Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court on Monday, and the case has been remanded to June 12 for further investigations.