Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
A WOMAN and her two children, aged three and seven, miraculously escaped with their lives but sustained injuries after their house was doused with petrol and set on fire by her estranged husband.
Dorcas Mutengwa, 29, was left with serious injuries after her ex-husband, Paul Zuze, set her house on fire.
In November last year, Zuze went to visit his ex-wife at her home and his request for sex was denied.
Zuze then allegedly took a kitchen knife and threatened to kill Mutengwa for turning down his sex proposal and accused her of infidelity.
This prompted Mutengwa to file a report and Zuze was arrested for violating a protection order.
He was released after it was found out that the place where the incident had occurred and the address on the protection order were different.
After his release, Zuze again threatened his ex-wife and warned her that he was going to kill her and the children by setting them on fire.
He accused her of being in a relationship with his brother and other men.
On the fateful day, Mutengwa was sleeping in her bedroom, together with her two children, who are aged three and seven.
When she woke up she found out that the bedroom was in flames and there was a strong smell of petrol.
She tried to use water to stop the blaze but failed.
She then opened the door and managed to rescue her two children, who sustained minor burns.
The older child sustained burns on his hands and nose while the younger one sustained burns on her right ear.
The mother sustained major burns all over her body. Mutengwa’s co-tenants woke up and helped put out the fire.
The neighbours also helped and they saw a man running away from the scene and getting into a car, which was identified as Zuze’s vehicle.
Investigations revealed that someone had poured petrol on the roof of the house and set it on fire.
The fire destroyed property, including a 32-inch television set, a bed, a fridge, kitchen chairs, clothes, blankets and a kitchen unit.
