Mr David Shongwe, who allegedly set his spouse alight, appeared in the Standerton Regional Court on 8 November.

He was arrested after the incident occurred in Ext 3 in Morgenzon on 24 June.

The man allegedly opened a bottle with petrol which spilled on his wife after he poured it in the imbawula (a makeshift coal stove made out of a large tin with holes) and the woman caught fire.

The police said the woman was sitting next to an imbawula inside her house with her child and two of her neighbours.

A case of attempted murder was opened.

However, the charge was changed to murder after the woman died at the Standerton Hospital.

The suspect was later released on R500 bail.

He last appeared in the Morgenzon Magistrate’s Court on 1 November.

The Morgenzon Police are investigating the case.