Molweni man endangers police then sets himself on fire
The man who is believed to be mentally unstable demanded his ID book from the police station.
HILLCREST SAPS have opened an inquest after a man set himself on fire at the Molweni satellite station on Tuesday, 5 July, endangering the lives of people in the station at the time.
According to Hillcrest SAPS communications officer, Cst Ndumiso Manqele, a man in his 30s barged into the Hillcrest Satellite Station based in Molweni carrying a container of petrol.
“The man had already poured petrol over himself before he entered the station.”
Manqele said the man took hostages; a police officer and a complainant, and demanded his ID book.
“The man then poured petrol on the floor and threatened the officer and the complainant that he was going to set them alight. “The officer managed to catch the man’s hand as he was about to strike a match.”
There was pandemonium when the man ran outside and set himself on fire. Running wildly, he jumped into an officer’s private car but the policemen managed to get him out.
“More police came from the Hillcrest SAPS to try and contain the situation and protect their colleagues, but the man was running around and, in one incident, he attempted to grab another police officer so that they could burn together, but the officer managed to escape his grip,” said Manqele.
It was then that a gunshot was fired, wounding the man. He died from his injuries in an ambulance on his way to hospital.
