Man set huts ablaze after daughter received a Mugabe scholarship

A CHIPINGE mother whose daughter benefitted from the First Lady, Amai Grace Mugabe's scholarship programme was left with nothing after her estranged husband allegedly set her two huts ablaze last week.

The Chipinge District police spokesperson, Sergeant Clothing Ncube, confirmed the incident and said a manhunt has since been launched for Ms Gladys Sithole's husband, Aaron Zabha who is believed to be behind the arson attack. The couple is said to have been embroiled in a domestic dispute for a long time, resulting in Zabha allegedly burning Ms Sithole's two huts.

In an interview, Ms Sithole, said she was left with nothing as everything went up in smoke.

"I only survived the arson attack with the clothes on my body. All my property was destroyed. I am glad that I am alive because Zabha wanted to kill me since he first tied the door from outside with a wire. He first torched my kitchen hut, but due to the fact that I was fast asleep, I did not even know what was happening outside. I was awoken by the light emanating from the fire and at first I thought it was daylight, but the heat coming from outside was just unbearable and I sensed danger," she said.

Sithole said she used a stone which was inside the hut she was sleeping in to break the door after she struggled to open it for some time.

"I rushed to the door and discovered that it was tied from outside. If it was not for the stone which I used to secure my door from inside, I might be history now," said a visibly traumatised Ms Sithole.

After escaping from the burning hut, Sithole and other villagers tried to put out the fire but they failed to save anything from the two huts. Sithole who is now staying with well wishers in Mutikwanda said her misunderstanding with Zabha came after she caught him in bed with his girlfriend only identified as Florence.

"I left Zabha at home for two weeks and went to  Makandi Estate to get financial assistance from my brother since my daughter who is doing Grade Five at Chipinge Junior School was not feeling well. I delayed in coming back because my brother did not have the money and had to look for it from his friends. When I returned home last week at around 7pm, I was surprised to find Zabha with Florence in bed and I ordered them to vacate the compound, but they refused to comply. Zabha later took all the foodstuffs and left in company of his girl friend to a nearby bush," she said.

It is understood that Zabha later returned at Sithole's place and tied the door from outside before setting it on fire.