Man sentenced five years for arson

Court Reporter
A 30-year-old man from Fort Rixon in Insiza District has been sentenced to five years in prison for arson after he torched his younger brother’s hut in revenge as he had impregnated his girlfriend. Vusa Dube of Wessels 1PBS torched Mr Gift Dube’s hut destroying property valued at $1 500.
Dube was convicted on his own plea of guilty when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Abednico Ndebele yesterday.
He would serve an effective 40 months after one year was suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour while a further eight months were suspended on condition that he compensates his younger brother.

The property that was burnt included a bed, cupboard, couch and electrical gadgets.
Mr Kudakwashe Jaravaza, for the State, told the court that on Sunday, Dube told his mother that he wanted to kill his younger brother because he had impregnated his girlfriend.

He told the mother that in the event that he failed to kill his younger brother, he would torch his bedroom hut because he was on a mission to revenge.

At about 11pm, Dube torched the hut using a match stick and fled from the scene.
He was arrested on Monday morning while preparing to leave his homestead as he intended to flee to South Africa.
Dube denied that he wanted to run away and told the court that he acted out of anger.

He pleaded with the court to be lenient with him, saying he was willing to reconstruct his brother’s hut and compensate him for the property.