Mpumalanga Arson Suspect Nabbed As Video Depicts State Vehicle on Fire Outside Mhala Police Station
- A suspected repeat arsonist has been arrested in Thulamahashe, Bushbuckridge, for setting a police car on fire
- A video of the burning marked Toyota double cab bakkie was posted to X following the arson on Saturday, 18 January
- A profile check showed the man had previously committed the same offence, drawing condemnation from police management
Source: UGC
BUSHBUKRIDGE — Black smoke from a burning police bakkie tainted a clear blue sky above the Mhala police station in Thulamahashe, Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.
The fire sparked a short chase for a suspected arsonist, seen fleeing after the alarm was sounded, alerting the police to the fiery scenes in broad daylight at about 3.30pm on Saturday, 18 January 2025.
Alleged cop car arsonist swiftly arrested
The brazen act resulted in a Toyota double cab vehicle burnt to the ground and a community member's swift arrest.
PAY ATTENTION: stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Police spokesperson Lt-Col Jabu Ndubane said police returned from a routine patrol at Thulamahashe Shopping Complex and parked outside the station gate before closing the windows and locking the car's doors.
"They heard a noise and learnt that the police bakkie was on fire. When the officers came out, a man was running from the burning vehicle. Officers gave chase and apprehended him, only a few metres away," she said.
Watch the video here.
The man was charged with malicious damage to state property. Ndubane said a check showed he had previously torched a police vehicle at the station.
"He committed a similar offence at the Mhala police station in December 2023, making him a repeat offender," she said.
Acting Provincial Commissioner Maj-Gen Zeph Mkhwanazi condemned the deliberate damage to essential state resources. He urged the community to safeguard them to ensure police were equipped to deal with crime.
"This is disturbing, and, in not so long, people will complain that they do not get adequate service or [the police doesn't] have resources to serve them. It is due to irresponsible actions like these. A sense of ownership to the resources the state allocates [is important]," said Mkhwanazi.
Cop van overturns, lands on roof
In a related fiasco, a state vehicle landed on its roof in a canal in a single-car collision in Cape Town on Wednesday, 30 October 2024.
It is unclear how the accident happened after the police van overturned and rolled into a water canal in a Gordon's Bay neighbourhood at about 3am.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
