A Surrey Estate man is behind bars after he allegedly tried to kill his mother by setting her house on fire.
The resultant blaze left more than 20 of his relatives homeless.
Trudy Fortuin, 48, says her “abusive drug addict” son has left his family with nothing but the clothes on their backs after he tried to kill her during a heated argument.
Several Wendy houses on a plot adjacent to the family home in Taurus Street were destroyed in the fire on Tuesday morning.
Disaster Risk Management spokesperson, Mandy Thomas, says seven structures were gutted and a total of 20 people displaced.
“Disaster Management Officers will be dispatched to assess and confirm and to request assistance from Sassa for humanitarian aid,” she said.
“The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.”
Trudy says over the weekend her 29-year-old son threw bricks at the windows and on Tuesday he set fire to one of the Wendy houses.
Traumatised
“Hy het altyd gesê hy gaan my dood maak,” the traumatised mother says.
“Oor die naweek het hy die vensters ingeslaan en gister [Tuesday] was ek in die main huis, toe skree iemand dat dit brand.
“Everyone ran for safety and I am so thankful that no one got hurt, all the kids were safe.”
Trudy says while they are unsure about how he started the fire, they say he may have used petrol and an accelerant as the flames spread across the yard and gutted the homes within minutes.
“Ons het alles verloor. Dit is net die main huis wat nog staan,” she says.
“Last night we all slept in one house. I don’t know on what drugs he is, but he has been terrorising us for years.
“The neighbours are already calling me the Ellen Pakkies of Surrey Estate.”
CARNAGE: Arson attack ruined 7 Wendy houses
In 2007, Lavender Hill mother Pakkies killed her drug-addicted son, Adam, who had been terrorising her for years.
Manenberg Police Station commander, Brigadier Enolium Joseph, says the suspect was arrested shortly after the fire.
“The officers responded after being alerted to the fire. When they arrived, they were informed that it was an arson attack and arrested the 29-year-old male who was still on the property at the time.
“After a heated argument between a mother and her adult son, he had set fire to his mother’s Wendy house.
“The 29-year-old was taken into custody and will be charged with arson and will appear in Athlone Magistrate's Court on Thursday.”
Trudy says she is glad her son is arrested and does not want him to return home.