Man torched children’s hut to fix their father

hut on fire

Sukulwenkosi Dube, Plumtree Correspondent
A 32-YEAR-OLD man from Mangwe allegedly locked his neighbour’s two children aged six and eight years in a kitchen hut and torched the room to fix their father following a misunderstanding.

Khulumani Ndebele of Mphoengs allegedly set the hut alight on Monday and was arrested after footsteps at the scene led villagers to his homestead.

The children’s father, Cain Ndlovu, 33, woke up at around 1AM to find the hut in which his children were sleeping in flames.

He destroyed the door using an axe to save his children.

Ndebele appeared on initial remand before Plumtree magistrate, Livard Philemon, facing two counts of attempted murder and malicious damage to property.

The magistrate ordered Ndebele to be examined by two doctors to ascertain his mental state. He was remanded in custody to February 11.

Prosecuting, Rose Sibanda said Ndebele went to Ndlovu’s homestead intending to kill his neighbour’s children.

‘’Ndebele and Ndlovu had a misunderstanding and Ndebele threatened to deal with his neighbour. On February 1 he proceeded to Ndlovu’s homestead at around 1AM and found the family asleep.

‘’He went to the kitchen hut where six-year-old Mafana Ndlovu and eight-year-old Ndingilizi Ndlovu were sleeping. Ndebele fastened the kitchen door with a rope from outside and set the hut on fire before fleeing from the homestead,’’ said Sibanda.

She said Ndlovu, who was sleeping in another room with his wife, heard his children screaming and went to investigate.

Sibanda said Ndlovu used an axe to destroy the door in order to gain entry into the hut.

‘’Ndlovu managed to save his children from the burning hut but all the property which was in the kitchen hut was reduced to ashes,’’ said Sibanda.

She said at day break, villagers spotted some shoeprints at the scene of the accident which led them to Ndebele’s homestead.

Investigations led to Ndebele’s arrest.

Sibanda said property valued at $350 was lost in the fire.

Ndebele recently completed a two-year jail sentence after he was convicted in 2012 of burning down another villager’s homestead.

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