Kimberley - The husband of the Northern Cape municipality speaker, Nokhaya Mjila, has appeared in the Kathu Magistrate’s Court where he was charged with four counts of murder - including of that of his wife - assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm as well as arson, police said on Tuesday.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said Thamsanqua Mjila was charged on Monday, June 23.
“The case is remanded to 30 July 2015. He is in custody at the Kuruman Correction Centre,” she said.
The charges follow an incident that took place in the early hours of May 30, 2015 when it is alleged Mjila’s husband allegedly set her alight while she was recuperating at a relative’s house in Olifantshoek after spending some time in hospital for an undisclosed reason.
Police said Mjila’s husband arrived at the relative’s house on Friday evening, accompanied by other well wishers to check up on his wife. He and the other visitors left at around 10pm that evening.
Naidu said: “He allegedly returned to the house at around 2am on Saturday, entered through an unlocked door and doused his wife with petrol while she was sleeping.”
Mijla died on June 12 from injuries sustained during the fire. Mjila’s relatives,Lillian Dilodilo and Mjila’s nine-month-old granddaughter had earlier succumbed to their burn wounds, while a third relative, Narshilia Dituku, 35, also died in hospital, Naidu said.
ANA