Woman and Sister-in-Law Die After Brutal Fire Attack by Boyfriend in eMalahleni

• Two eMalahleni women who were doused with petrol and set alight by a boyfriend have died in hospital
• Mpumelelo Hill brutally assaulted the mother of his children, Nompumelelo Gumede, in July 2025
• Mpumelelo Hill's sister, Antoinette Hill, attempted to intervene and was also burned in the brutal attack

A man in eMalahleni has set the mother of his children and his sister alight after a heated argument. The two women, who had since been treated in hospital, have tragically died.

What happened?

The two women from Emalahleni were fighting for their lives in hospital after suffering severe burn injuries. The 22-year-old Nompumelelo Gumede was doused with petrol, locked in a room, and set alight by her live-in boyfriend, who is also the father of her young child. His sister, who tried to protect Gumede during the attack, was also badly burned.

The family of the deceased said that they will never find peace. They said that the suspect should not be granted bail because they will not be able to deal with seeing him loitering on the streets. An eyewitness told ENCA that they saw the suspect around 6 am on the morning of the incident hiding next to a car.

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She said that the suspect was crying. She said that when she returned from the shop, she saw flames coming from the house. The suspect was allegedly sitting in the living room, not bothered by the flames.

Suspect in court

The 35-year-old suspect appeared in court on Monday, 28 July 2025. Police confirmed that they are working closely with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to ensure that justice is served. The suspect has been charged with two counts of murder.

What you need to know about women being killed

• Olorato Mongale was murdered, and her body was dumped hours after she went on a date with the man.
• A man who handed himself to police appeared in court for allegedly murdering his girlfriend on New Year's Day.
• Madhumathie Bunwarie was tragically killed when a battery was thrown off a bridge onto her vehicle.
• A 43-year-old sergeant of the South African Police Service was found dead in her home in Limpopo.
• Ithabeleng Motleleng, a 20-year-old from Protea South, was found dead under her boyfriend's bed after a four-day search by her family, sparking shock and heartbreak.
• A female Gauteng Traffic Warden murdered by her police officer boyfriend in Eldorado Park has been laid to rest.
• A pregnant woman was mercilessly gunned down in the Mbombela CBD, allegedly by her abusive boyfriend.

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Woman stabbed to death

In another report, Briefly News stated that a KwaZulu-Natal woman was killed after being stabbed multiple times in yet another crime of passion in the province. Following the alleged killing, the 31-year-old's boyfriend went on the run and has still not been located amid a manhunt by police.

The couple reportedly argued as they and a third person returned from a tavern on Monday, 30 December 2024.

Source: Briefly News