By Tadiwa Shunje
MASVINGO-A 23-year-old man from Muchaendepi Village under Chief Ziki in Bikita appeared
before the Masvingo Magistrates Court facing attempted murder charges after allegedly setting
fire to a family house occupied by nine family members including his parents, who narrowly
escaped death.
The accused appeared before Magistrate Bepura and pleaded not guilty to the charge and the
matter was deferred to June 29 for continuation of trial.
Prosecutor Liberty Hove told the court that on November 7, 2025, the accused allegedly
requested petrol at around 3:00 PM, claiming that his vehicle had broken down.
The State alleges that he later used the petrol to make inflammable devices before returning at
about 9:00 PM and setting fire to a two-roomed house belonging to his father, Lazarus Mugarwe.
The court heard that at the time of the incident, Mugarwe and his wife were sleeping in one room
while their children were asleep in another room.
As the blaze spread through the house, Mugarwe’s wife reportedly managed to escape and rushed
to the room where the children were sleeping. Upon reaching the room, she allegedly discovered
that the door had been locked from the outside. She unlocked it and rescued the children before
the flames could reach them.
According to the State, the accused moved away from the scene after starting the fire and
shouted words to the effect that he had fixed the family and that although they were not dead, the
conflict between them was not yet over.
The fire destroyed all household property and cash valued at US$754.
In his defense, the accused denied the allegations and told the court that longstanding disputes
existed between him and his family.
“We have issues before where i tried to discipline my younger brothers but my mother told me
that I had no child among them to discipline, that’s why they are accusing me,” he said.
He further claimed that on the day of the alleged offence he had been at Jecheche Business
Centre and only returned home late.
