A 33 year old man is being held in police custody after allegedly stabbing his 23 year old girlfriend before setting their home on fire while their two young children were inside, according to Botswana local media.
Botswana local media reported that the incident occurred on Friday night in Sekao ward, Tsokatshaa, in the Nata/Gweta constituency.
Speaking to Botswana local media, Gweta Police Station commander Superintendent Tabengwa Magwama said preliminary investigations indicate that the couple had argued at the house they shared, after which the woman allegedly asked the man to leave.
Magwama said the suspect appeared to comply but allegedly returned during the early hours of the morning while intoxicated and armed with a sharp object.
“He allegedly stabbed the woman under the breast,” Magwama told Botswana local media.
According to the police commander, the injured woman managed to call for help from neighbours, who responded to the scene. During the commotion, the suspect allegedly set the house on fire while the couple’s two children, aged 12 months and two years, were still inside with their mother.
Neighbours succeeded in rescuing the children before the fire engulfed the house, Botswana local media reported. The blaze destroyed the family’s home, leaving them with only the clothes they were wearing.
The woman was treated at hospital and has since been discharged. She is recovering at home, according to Botswana local media.
The suspect remains in police custody and is expected to appear before the Nata Magistrates’ Court later this week to face charges related to the incident.