Man sets bedroom hut on fire with 7 family members inside

A MAN in Nkayi District who got upset after his mother-in-law barred him from seeing his estranged wife because it was late at night and set a hut on fire while seven family members were inside, has been jailed for nine years.

Sikhulumani Ndlovu (39) appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate, Ms Sibonginkosi Mnkandla, charged with seven counts of attempted murder.

He was convicted and sentenced to 10 years behind bars, of which one year was suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within five years. He will effectively serve nine years behind bars.

In sentencing Ndlovu, the magistrate described him as cruel and heartless.

“After you were barred from seeing your estranged wife, you devised a plan to kill them. You locked them from the outside and set the room on fire while seven family members were sleeping inside,” said Ms Mnkandla.

“That is the highest level of cruelty and heartlessness. What if they had failed to escape? They were going to die. You did not show any sign of remorse.”

In mitigation, Ndlovu told the court that he was a breadwinner looking after his wife and two minor children. He blamed his actions on alcohol.

“I plead with the court to be lenient with me when passing sentence. I don’t know what got into my mind. I desperately wanted to see my wife, but my mother-in-law prevented me from seeing her,” he said.

“I got angry and set the room on fire. I was overwhelmed with emotions and I was drunk. If I am jailed, my wife and two minor children will suffer.”

The complainant is Ms Manina Gumbo (67), residing at Samon Gumbo’s homestead, Mpoko village, Chief Sikhobokhobo, Nkayi, along with six other family members.

In aggravation, prosecutor Ms Tsungai Charmaine Mutapi submitted that Ndlovu meticulously planned the execution of the crime and issued death threats to the victims.

“At first, the offender used a machete to instil fear in the victims and threatened to kill them. After that, he locked the door and tied it with a rope from the outside before setting the room on fire,” she said.

“He hurled insults at them and told them that he had killed several people and that they would die inside the room. The offender viciously committed the offence, subjecting the victims to inhumane treatment and intimidation.

“He fled the scene after committing the crime and did not show any remorse,” said Ms Mutapi.

Prosecuting, Ms Mutapi told the court that on 17 August last year at around 8 PM, the offender went to Cross Gumbo’s homestead in Mpoko Village to see his wife, Abigail Gumbo, who told him to come back the following day since it was already late into the night.

“The offender then got upset and proceeded to set the bedroom hut on fire, tying the door with a rope from the outside while the complainant and six other family members were sleeping inside the room,” she said.

“The matter was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of the offender.”