Son sets his father’s house on fire

A PENSIONER from Thomo village in Giyani, Jack Seshoka (83), escaped death when his son (26) set his house on fire, thinking he was inside, on Saturday night.

Earlier on, the son, who is now in police custody, apparently beat the pensioner with a knobkerrie and ran off when neighbours came to his father’s rescue.

The elderly man’s younger brother Johannes Seshoka (82), took him to a nearby clinic for medical attention shortly after the beating and took him to his own home afterwards to look after and protect him from any further attacks by his son.

“An hour later after making my brother comfortable, I came out to see his house on fire. It was lucky that I thought to take my brother to my own home, otherwise he would have been dead,” he explained.

The motive for his son’s alleged action is unknown. According to family members and neighbours, the two men did not have any problems before.

According to the 26-year-old’s mother, Victoria Seshoka, the suspect started behaving strangely when he was in Johannesburg for contract work.

“He would see rats roaming around his shack and eating his food when there were none,” she explained, saying he would try to kill them when he saw the rats.

She said he accused his neighbours of keeping rubbish lying around that caused the influx of rats to his room.

“When he returned here, he said the same things about rats. She said they were in the process to find a spiritual prophet to help him when the incident with his father occurred.

Giyani police spokesperson, WO Thomas Makhubele, said the suspect was taken into police custody while the police investigated the case. “We are investigating cases of assault and arson,” he said.

Makhubele indicated that, should the court decide that he was not mentally fit, the correct procedures would be followed.