Admire Chatindo
In a case that has left the Chipinge community tongue-tied, a man from that community reportedly set a house ablaze, leading to the burning to death of his daughter and ex-wife whom he had been allegedly hounding for sex, a court heard.
The man has already appeared at Chipinge Magistrate’s Court, accused of one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder. He allegedly set fire to a house where his ex-wife, her daughter, and his brother were sleeping. The incident occurred after she purportedly refused to engage in sexual activity with him.
The magistrate, Catherine Dzivanyika, deferred the matter to a later date for the continuation of the trial, pending forensic investigations scheduled to be completed on November 27, 2023.
As outlined by the state prosecutor, Pamela Mufudza, on November 15, the accused, Bright Majecha, visited the residence of the now deceased Paidamoyo Madondo at 4748 Gaza E Chipinge around 0200 hours. He demanded sex, but his request was denied.
On November 17, he returned and insisted on seeing his daughter, Tawananyasha Majecha. However, Madondo refused to open the door, citing the late hour. Approximately two hours later, Madondo noticed a flame of fire under the table while she was sleeping on a reed mat. She detected the smell of petrol, suspecting that the accused used it to ignite the fire. In an attempt to escape, Madondo, her daughter Tawananyasha, and her brother Blessing Madondo, who was also sleeping in the same house, failed.
Paidamoyo later managed to open the door, but due to the slippery floor, she fell. She and her daughter were burned on their entire bodies, while her brother Blessing escaped through the asbestos roof. Paidamoyo screamed for help, and a neighbor came to her aid. Unfortunately, her daughter had already died. Paidamoyo was rushed to the hospital, where she later succumbed to the burns.
The police linked the accused to the crime, as witnesses had seen him approaching the complainant’s home around 2100 hours. Additionally, he had visited the accused person’s residence, demanding sex, which was refused. On the 16th, he again went to see his daughter, being told to return during the day. On the fateful day, he threatened the victims, and a few hours later, the house was set ablaze.
Bail was opposed, as the state argued that he might interfere with state witnesses, who are his friends and neighbors, and posed a flight risk due to the nature of his crime.
