Two men nabbed for arson

Herald Reporter
TWO men have been arrested this week in two separate incidents in Mashonaland West for trying to kill their neighbours by setting their bedroom huts ablaze while they were sleeping following unknown disputes. Mashonaland West provincial police spokesperson Inspector Clemence Mabgweazara confirmed the two incidents, saying investigations were in progress.

“We arrested Kenny Hungwe (35) of village 32B Huyo Nyamakate in Makuti and John Chihunga (50) on separate incidents for setting their neighbours’ huts ablaze while they were sleeping,” he said.

The first incident occurred on Monday at around 1pm at Nkoma village 2B Kanyaga in Kenzamba, where Chihunga woke up and proceeded to Wilson Nkoma’s (78) homestead in the same village where he found Nkoma and his wife Rotina sleeping in their bedroom.

It is alleged that Chihunga tied the door with a wire and set the house on fire before fleeing.
The fire was discovered by Rotina who woke up Wilson and they both broke the side wall of the hut in a bid to escape.

Wilson managed to escape through the broken wall, leaving Rotina inside shouting for help from fellow villagers who came and put out the fire.
Police from Kenzamba attended the scene and carried Rotina, who was burnt on the head to Kanyaga Clinic, where she was treated and discharged.

Property worth US$100 was destroyed.
The second incident occurred on August 13, at around 2pm at Village 32B Huyo Nyamakate in Makuti, where Hungwe woke up and proceeded to Forget Makore’s (18) homestead where he found Hungwe and his wife Emma Shedi (16) sleeping in their bedroom.

It is alleged that as Makore was sleeping, he heard a sound coming from the door and he noticed that the door was being tampered with.
Makore woke up and opened the door where he positively identified Hungwe and called him by his name prompting him to run away.

As Hungwe ran away, Makore discovered that his hut was on fire and quickly woke up his wife and proceeded to wake up his mother Anna Hwata (44) who was sleeping in a nearby kitchen hut.

They both managed to remove some of the property in the burning hut and property worth US$300 was destroyed.
Police at Makuti attended the scene and arrested Hungwe, who will appear at Kariba Magistrates Court on August 19, facing attempted murder charges.