The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Mpumalanga have opened a murder and inquest investigation after three charred bodies were found inside a burnt-out vehicle.
The vehicle was discovered early on Friday, 24 October 2025, in the Boekehouthoek area near Kwaggafontein.
Police identified the victims as 32-year-old Lucia Thembisile Mahiyane and her two children, Bokamoso and Karabo Ngele, aged 7 and 4.
The 37-year-old suspect allegedly confessed to his uncle that he had killed his wife and children by setting them alight at the Zithabiseni Bridge area.
Police found the suspect at his grandparents’ home in Boekehouthoek, where he was foaming at the mouth and later died despite ambulance efforts, with preliminary investigations suggesting he ingested poison.
Major-General Zeph Mkhwanazi, Mpumalanga’s Provincial Commissioner of Police, condemned the act, stressing that domestic conflict and gender-based violence must be addressed through legal and counselling channels.
The case contributes to national concern over gender-based violence and family homicides, with investigators opening three counts of murder and an inquest docket.
