A man suspected of setting his girlfriend’s house on fire in which her 10-year-old son died in Limpopo in January, was caught hiding on a farm in the Cullinan district on July 1.

Mmabangisenli Godfrey Bebeda (55) appeared before the Dzanani Magistrate’s Court in Polokwane on July 3 on charges of murder, attempted murder, arson and theft.

According to the police, Bebeda went to the house of his 37-year-old girlfriend at Murunwa Village in the Vhulaudzi policing area at about 20:00 on January 31 and allegedly set it alight.

The couple had an argument earlier. The girlfriend, her 17-year-old daughter and her 10-year-old son, Morgan Siobo Ndamelelo, were asleep when the one-bedroom house was set on fire.

The woman and her daughter managed to escape but were critically injured. The little boy, however, succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

The Limpopo police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, ordered that Bebeda be traced and an intelligence-led operation was then activated in Pretoria by the Vhembe District Trio Crimes Task Team, Pretoria Moot Detectives and the National Investigation Unit.

Hadebe welcomed the arrest and praised the operational team for working tirelessly to ensure that the suspect is behind bars.

Bebeda was remanded in custody and will appear again in court on August 25.

The police investigation continues.