Cape Town – The boyfriend of a Gugulethu woman, Jacqueline Mpontsana, is being sought after she was allegedly doused with petrol, set alight and died.
Ironically, Mpontsana’s work for the Western Cape Department of Community Safety entailed inspecting SAPS stations for their compliance to assist victims of domestic and gender-based violence.
Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said the 40-year-old Mpontsana was set alight and killed by her partner at around 1.50am on Monday during an apparent domestic dispute at her residence in NY109 Gugulethu.
It was allegedly not the first time Mpontsana, who had rekindled the relationship two days before, had been assaulted and a nephew and an aunt had tried to intervene this time, News24 reported.
Mpontsana’s cousin, Luvuyo Ndzuzo, said the family was having difficulty coming to terms with the horrific manner in which she had died. The lives of children were endangered when they had to break down doors to escape from the ensuing blaze in their home.
Traut said: ’’The suspect fled the scene and he is yet to be arrested. Any person with information regarding the case is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.’’
Mpontsana, who celebrated her 40th birthday last week, leaves behind a 12-year-old daughter.
Mourning Mpontsana’s death, Department of Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz said on Wdnesday: ’’Ms Mpontsana, or Jacque, as she was fondly known, was set alight in a domestic violence dispute.
’’She was initially rushed to hospital, and family, friends and colleagues had hoped that she would recover from severe injuries. Unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries on Monday afternoon.
’’Our staff and I have really been shaken by this terrible news. What makes her passing especially tragic is that her work entailed inspecting SAPS stations for their compliance to assist victims of domestic and gender-based violence.
““It is incredibly upsetting. But we have to go on. We cannot surrender in the face of this scourge. We have to keep fighting, for Jacque, and for every other victim like her.
’’Jacque was first appointed in the Department of Community Safety in 2005 and had since then performed a number of different roles.
’’She worked in the section in the Department which dealt with complaints against the SAPS, fulfilling the functions of secretary for both the Domestic Violence Compliance Forum and the IPID Consultative Forum.
’’Over the years, Jacque had become one of the most experienced staff members in monitoring SAPS on compliance in terms of the Domestic Violence Act.’’
Her most recent manager, Werner Bezuidenhout, said: “It is for the directorate and me an absolute tragedy that Jacque was allegedly killed by her partner in an act of extreme domestic violence. She was an invaluable member of our team and she will be sorely missed.”
Fritz added: “Jacque offered her professional career in service of members of domestic and gender-based violence and in her honour. We are going to ensure that the perpetrator of this egregious act of cowardice is brought to justice.
’’We have to keep moving forward; we have to keep fighting these cowards who are killing our women and children, and we will not rest until our women and children live in a safe environment, free of domestic and gender-based violence.”
A friend of Mpontsana, who works at the City of Cape Town, posted on Facebook: ’’They are killing us badly. RIP Jacqueline Mpontsana.’’
In February, Lungile Nxelelwa was given two life terms and a five-year sentence at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Keneilwe Pule, from Sebokeng. He had raped and killed her before setting her body on fire in 2019.
The court heard Nxelelwa, who had been in three-year relationship with Pule, showed no remorse and evidence gathered by pathologists indicated the victim had suffered grievous injuries to her genitalia and anus.
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