HAD Sindi Marupula not woken up on Sunday, she’d be dead today.
Her husband allegedly tried to kill her and their 12-year-old daughter and poison himself.
The 51-year-old from Braamfischerville in Soweto woke up with the smell of gas in her house.
Her husband apparently woke up early, took the gas cylinder and left it open in the bedroom before sneaking out.
“I was dizzy when I woke up. My child and I realised it was gas. The cylinder was in the bedroom covered with clothes and my husband was nowhere to be found.”
Sindi said her husband came back and was surprised to find them alive. “You guys are still here, today kuzo nyiwa,” he said before setting the house on fire.
She said she found a pack of poison in his clothes, which she suspected he wanted to drink after killing them. She believes her request for a divorce drove him to drastic action.
She wanted out because he had been cheating on her and abusing her and alcohol.
“We were in the process of a divorce because of the things he did.”
Sindi said weeks before the incident, he sold their valuables to feed his alcohol addiction.
“He sold the fridge, cutlery and valuable things. He was starting to sell his own clothes.”
She said she was called to school every now and again as their kids were not coping as a result of the abuse they saw at home. “It got worse. Two of the kids had to live with relatives,” said Sindi.
Police spokesman Kay Makhubele said a case of arson was opened at Dobsonville Police Station.
The man was bust and appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrates Court and will appear again soon.
