Jealousy suspected as motive in Kraaifontein fire that killed three – Pensioner arrested
A 60-year-old man is expected to appear in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court in the Western Cape on Friday on three counts of murder.
This follows after three people died in a house fire in Kraaifontein.
The provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Andrè Traut, said officers attached to the Provincial Serious Violent Crime Unit, supported by Kraaifontein SAPS, managed to arrest the suspect on Thursday, August 14.
“In the early hours of August 13, 2025, at approximately 12:45 am, the bodies of a 58-year-old woman, a 56-year-old man, and a four-year-old child were discovered in a residence in New Rest, Wallacedene, which had been completely destroyed by fire,” Traut said.
The cause of the fire was not initially known.
“The cause of the fire was initially unknown, and an inquest docket was opened. However, preliminary investigations revealed evidence suggesting the fire had been deliberately started. This line of inquiry led to the suspect’s arrest,” Traut said.
Police also believe they know the motive of the attack.
“A possible motive for the attack is believed to be linked to jealousy,” Traut said.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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