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Amanda Chikari, Midlands Reporter
THE man suspected to have killed four Gokwe sisters after torching a hut in which they were sleeping allegedly dropped his hat and torch at the crime scene and suffered burns from the inferno, a court has heard.

Dingilizwe Dube (39) of Gayela Village under Chief Madliwa’s area in Nkayi appeared before Gokwe magistrate Mr Christopher Maturure on Monday 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 11 for routine remand.

Prosecuting, Mr Tineyi Tirigo said during the day 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 Tirigo.

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 which was 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,” said Mr Tirigo.

He said Dube was burnt on the right arm by the fire he started.“The burn wounds were seen by witnesses on the same night soon after he had committed the offence. Upon arrest the accused had the burn wounds. The machete used to kill the beasts was recovered by the police at his homestead,” said Mr Tirigo.

The total value of the cattle, hut and property that was damaged in the inferno was put at $4000.