Younger wife burns down first wife's hut

A GWAYI woman who has a pending murder case landed herself on the wrong side of the law yet again when she was dragged before the courts for causing malicious damage to property after she torched a hut belonging to the first wife in their polygamous marriage.

Patience Ncube (28) of Stand 115 Chimwara Village 5 in Gwayi, who was out on bail awaiting trial on a murder charge which occurred late last year, appeared before Provincial magistrate Miss Lindiwe Maphosa facing a charge of causing malicious damage to property as outlined in Section 140 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

The court heard that on 13 September the complainant, Sibonokuhle Lunga, the older wife in the polygamous marriage, went to fetch water from a nearby borehole.

Ncube took that chance and threw hot charcoal through the window of Lunga's bedroom resulting in some clothes catching fire.

On her return from the borehole, Lunga noticed fire coming from her bedroom and rushed to investigate where she found her clothes burning and quickly took them outside to extinguish the fire.

The complainant then noticed traces of charcoal and footprints close to her bedroom window and called members of the Neighbourhood Watch Committee who managed to arrest Ncube before handing her over to the police after the footprints matched hers.

The fire destroyed two jerseys, a pillow, plastic bowl and a church gown valued at $50.

Upon being apprehended, Ncube confessed to having lit the fire and asked for forgiveness. However, the Watch Committee would have none of it as she was on trial for causing the death of the same woman's child in a fire which she had started by throwing hot charcoal into the bedroom late last year.

Ncube, who pleaded guilty to the charge of causing malicious damage to property, was remanded in custody to 23 September for sentencing.

Mr Tinomupeyi Mbiza represented the State.