adminNqobile Tshili : Chronicle Correspondent
A COUPLE and its three-year-old child escaped an arson attack after their bedroom hut was torched in a fight over the family’s homestead. The incident occurred on Saturday at around 3AM in Esiphezini under Chief Sigola.Bheki Maphosa, his wife, Emelia Tshuma, and their three-year-old child allegedly escaped naked after Mavis Gumbo, 69, allegedly set their homestead on fire.
Gumbo, who has allegedly since been arrested, was said to have cohabited with Maphosa’s late father, Mbiwa Maphosa.
Mbiwa allegedly used to live with Gumbo at her homestead and since his death in 2014 there has been a dispute over his homestead.
Yesterday, a Chronicle news crew visited the family’s homestead.
Two huts had been razed to the ground while a zinc roofed house was partly demolished.
Maphosa and his wife were alleged to have gone to Esigodini.
One of their neighbours, Margaret Majola, said Gumbo was fighting the young couple over a homestead left by Maphosa’s father.
“Mbiwa used to live with Gumbo at her homestead. He died in 2014 and Gumbo started to fight Bheki over this homestead. She dragged them to court unsuccessfully last year in April. We thought the issue was over,”said Majola.
She said Tshuma came screaming for help as their huts were in flames and told them that they had dashed for life, only to find Gumbo at their doorstep carrying an iron bar.
She said Gumbo only moved after they threatened to assault her.
Another villager Eunice Phiri, 83, said it was her first time to witness such an incident in the village.
“This is my first time observing such a deliberate cruel act. She can’t even claim insanity,” said Phiri.
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