dyton mupawaenda
Arron Nyamayaro
A MACHEKE farmer is being accused of setting a 30-tonne maize field on fire.
Pieter Christian Steyn, 80, is accused of setting the field on fire and destroying Yardford Farm’s maize field and an orchard at a nearby farm.
The farm belongs to a widow, Maiwepi Jiti.
The case was reported under RRB 5764986 at Macheke Police Station.
Pieter and Jiti have been to court over ownership of the farm.
Pieter denied any involvement in the case and said he actually helped to try and douse the flames.
“I distinctly recall on the 13th of September 2024, around 9.30 am, whilst attending to a problem at the pump station at the dam, seeing smoke down the road.
“I proceeded to the field to investigate where the smoke was coming from.
“I drove up the road and saw by then that a fire had erupted, which had started burning the grass along the edge of the pivot field that contained dry maize stova, as well as the bush leading down to the dam.”
He added:
“I immediately called the foreman to send a tractor with a disc to put the fire out by creating fire guards and another with a water bowser.
“While I was parked on the side of the road waiting, I noticed Mrs Jiti driving towards Macheke and she would have had full view of the inferno but failed to respond to the obvious smoke.
“At around the same time, within a few minutes, two persons approached me and accused me of igniting the fire, which I denied, as I did not start the fire.
“In turn, they started swearing at me and shouting at me.”
The fire spread to Nhewe Farm where it destroyed some banana plants.
Jiti said:
“This is not the first time Pieter has been up to destroy me.
“This is his second time and this time he has destroyed my 30 tonnes of maize as well as destroying the cattle grazing area.
“This is being done because I am a widow,” she said.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter