adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
THE traditional leadership of Mangwe had to intervene so that a local businessman and his ex-lover who died in a fire incident last week could be buried as their families fought over ash. The 26-year-old businessman, Tendai Ngwenya and his ex-lover, Lisa Nleya (19) from Ngwanyana area were burnt beyond recognition when the man locked himself up and the woman in his shop and set it alight during a dispute over custody of their three-year-old son.
In an interview yesterday, Chief Tshitshi said the woman’s family insisted on having a DNA test in order to differentiate the ash.
“There was conflict over identity of the ash as the woman’s family which appeared bitter over the incident was demanding a DNA test to ascertain the ash which belonged to their daughter. “The bodies were burnt beyond recognition and the ash was packed into two plastic bags,” said Chief Tshitshi.
He said the two families were finally convinced to share the ash.
“The burial ceremonies were conducted on Sunday but by Saturday evening tension was high with the woman’s family demanding possession of all the ash in order to run tests while the man’s family refused.
“We had to call a meeting where we advised the two families to take a single bag of the ash each as carrying out DNA tests would take a long time,” said Chief Tshitshi.
The incident, which left many people in the area shocked occurred on Thursday evening at Ngwanyana Business Centre.
A dispute between the two arose when Ngwenya accused Nleya of denying him access to their child and demanded custody of the boy.
On the day of the incident Ngwenya had appeared in court facing a charge of violating a protection order which was recently issued to him.
He was denied custody of their child, a development which is believed to have angered him. He went to his ex-lover’s homestead where he assaulted Nleya’s grandmother for denying him access to his child.
Nleya went to Ngwenya’s shop in an attempt to resolve the dispute. They both went into the shop which had petrol containers inside and Ngwenya ordered his shop attendant, Mr Busani Mtindiya to excuse them.
Ngwenya then locked the door from inside and set the shop alight.
Online Reporter