Family of Middelburg woman set alight say attacker was in her hospital room

Loved ones question why no arrest has been made and say the police's information contradicts what they have discovered.

Despite the family of Promise Motubatsi (29) telling the Middelburg Observer that the man who allegedly attacked Motubatsi and set her on fire was in the same ICU room as her, the Mpumalanga police say the man is on the run and not in the hospital.

Motubatsi was admitted to the Middelburg Provincial Hospital on Saturday afternoon after 80% of her body was covered in burns.

She sadly lost her life after succumbing to the severity of the wounds shortly after midnight yesterday.

It is alleged her ex-boyfriend set her on fire on Saturday on a farm they lived and worked on outside Middelburg.

Yesterday morning the distressed family told the Observer they are not happy with how the case is being investigated.

They claimed they were deeply shocked to see the man who allegedly set Motubatsi on fire sleeping less than 3m from her when they went to visit her on Tuesday afternoon.

They complained to hospital management about their concerns and were allegedly told that nothing could be done.

The family then went to the Middelburg police to ask why the suspect had not been charged. The police allegedly told them that eyewitnesses were not co-operating.

The family said they went to the farm where the incident happened to speak to the workers, who said they would provide the police with information.

When the Observer asked the police why the suspect had not been arrested, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane said: “The suspect was never found in the hospital. He is still at large. The investigation is still continuing.”

The statement contradicts the family’s account.

A media enquiry was also sent to the provincial hospital about the matter. A comment couldn’t be reached before publication.

Read original story on www.citizen.co.za

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Ruan de Ridder

A digital support specialist at Caxton Local Media, known for his contributions to the digital landscape. He has covered major stories, including the Moti kidnappings, and edits and curates news of national importance from over 50 Caxton Local News sites.
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