A 22-year-old man has been arrested by police in Mahwelereng, Waterberg district, for arson after a fire destroyed property worth R1.5 million in a house in Rooival.
It is said that on Friday, July 24, 2026, at about 8 pm, the owner of the house was in Seshego when he received a call from his younger sister informing him that their home was on fire. The Mokopane fire brigade was called to put out the fire.
The owner of the house rushed home, and when he arrived at about 11 o’clock at night, he found the house with ten rooms and the small house with three rooms at the back completely burnt along with the belongings in it.
The initial investigation revealed that the suspect is the nephew of the owner of the house and was said to have been seen by a neighbor at the scene of the incident.
When members of the community tried to put out the fire, the 22-year-old suspect allegedly tried to stop them by fighting them before fleeing on foot.
A case of arson was opened and a manhunt was launched immediately, which led to his arrest in the Rooival area.
He is expected to appear in the Mokerong Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 27 July 2026, charged with arson.