4 sisters ‘killer’ remanded in custody

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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau
THE man suspected to have killed four Gokwe sisters after torching a hut they were sleeping in has been further remanded in custody to September 24.

Dingilizwe Dube (39) of Gayela Village under Chief Madliwa’s area in Nkayi appeared before Gokwe magistrate Mrs Sibongile Zungula yesterday facing four counts of murder and one count of malicious damage to property.

Dube was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to September 24 for confirmation of his warned and cautioned statement.

Clad in a khaki prison garb — Dube appeared unmoved by the charges he is facing as he walked in and out of the dock.

He hardly raised his face to the court.

Prosecuting, Mr Progress Chaisva said on August 17, Dube had an altercation with his in-laws, the Dlomo family of Mkuze Village under Chief Mkoka in Gokwe South.

He said after the altercation, Dube hatched a plan to kill his in-laws.

He allegedly acquired a machete and a flammable liquid and went to his in-laws’ homestead at night.

“Upon arrival at his in-laws’ homestead, the accused used the flammable agent he had acquired and torched a bedroom hut in which four of his sisters-in-law namely Peculiar (4), Princess (13), Preference (15) and Progress (19) were sleeping. As a result of the fire, the named Dlomo daughters died in the fire,” said Mr Chaisva.

He said after committing the crime, Dube proceeded to his in-laws cattle pen and struck nine beasts using a machete.

“The accused was seen during the day carrying the fuel container whose contents were used in torching the hut and the same containers were found at the crime scene. The accused dropped his hat at the scene of the crime, a hat which was also identified as his by witnesses. He also dropped an electrical miner’s torch which was also identified as his.” Mr Chaisva said  Dube was burnt on the right arm by the fire he started.

“The wounds were seen by witnesses on the same night soon after he had committed the offence. Upon arrest the accused had the  wounds. The machete used to kill the beasts was recovered by the police at his homestead,” said Mr Chaisva.

The total value of the cattle, hut and property that was damaged in the inferno was put at $4 000.

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