South African man kills wife and two children in car fire, takes own life after

Police in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province have launched a murder and inquest investigation after a man allegedly burned his wife and two children to death before taking poison.

The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, October 24, 2025, when officers discovered a burnt-out vehicle containing three charred bodies in the Boekehouthoek area near Kwaggafontein.

According to police spokesperson Jabu Ndubane, the victims are believed to be 32-year-old Lucia Thembisile Mahiyane and her two children, Bokamoso and Karabo Ngele, aged seven and four.

Investigations revealed that the suspect, aged 37, had confessed to his uncle that he killed his wife and children by setting them on fire inside the vehicle at the Zithabiseni Bridge area. Police were alerted and later found the man at his grandparents’ home in Boekehouthoek.

He was reportedly foaming at the mouth when officers arrived, and paramedics were called to the scene. However, he died before receiving medical attention. Preliminary findings indicate that he ingested poison after committing the killings.

Major-General Zeph Mkhwanazi, the Provincial Commissioner of Police in Mpumalanga, condemned the incident, urging the public to resolve domestic and marital disputes through lawful and counselling channels instead of resorting to violence.

The case has reignited national outrage over gender-based violence and family-related homicides in South Africa. Police have opened three counts of murder and an inquest docket as investigations continue.