Arsonists on the prowl in Honde Valley, two kitchens burned

A 63-YEAR-OLD Honde Valley  widow was left cursing the gods after some unknown arsonists, suspected to be on the prowl in the area, on Sunday, torched her kitchen grass thatched hut, reducing valuables worth $2 000 to ashes.

After dealing a lethal blow to Ms Gladys Mukandi, the suspects went on to torch another kitchen hut belonging to Fungai Chiutsi.

The two homesteads are within a distance of 700 metres.

The incidents, which left the community with more questions than answers and ignited fears of a comeback, occurred around 9pm.

No one was injured in the unprovoked attacks.

Owners of the destroyed properties were not around when the incidents happened.

Both got home when the damage had been inflicted.

At Chiutsi, property worth $500 was reduced to debris.

Among the burnt valuables were several bags of recently shelled maize, unshelled maize, 20 sheets of asbestos, a bicycle, a tent, a multiplicity of kitchen utensils, a kitchen unit, blankets, clothes, groceries and several chickens.

Both incidents were reported at Ruda Police Station and investigations are in progress.
Police are treating the cases as arson.

Ms Mukandi said this was the first mishap in her lifetime.

She feared that the arsonists might strike again.

"It's a huge loss. It is as good as killing me. All I have worked for my whole life is gone. What wrong have I committed to deserve this kind of punishment? I am just a poor widow who is struggling to eke a living. I do not understand why these people targeted me.

"All my food and kitchen utensils have been reduced to ashes together with other valuables like building materials. It is hard to believe this has happened," she said with difficulty.

She said tragedy struck while she had gone to her daughter-in-law's place to watch television.

She was alerted by her granddaughter and namesake, Gladys that her kitchen hut was on fire.

"We were relaxed in the house watching television when Gladys who had gone outside rushed back screaming that my kitchen hut was on fire. We suspect an inflammable substance was used since the fire started from the top.

I had locked the door from outside and when we smashed it open there was no fire at the fireplace to suggest it started from within. We could not retrieve anything from the hut. It is a great loss and I do not know how I will survive," said Mrs Mukandi, shaking and scratching her grey haired head.

She said as a Christian, she would surrender everything to God.

"The fire was vicious and swift. We just watched as it razed the hut. I do not understand the motive nekuti ndingori shirikadzi inongozvigarira pamba payo. Handiite zvematongerwe enyika ini. If it is politics, then I was wrongly targeted," she said.

The worker, who resides at the Chiutsi's place only identified as Fungai was not available when The Manica Post visited the homestead.

He was said to have gone to make a report at Ruda Police Station.

Kraal head, Mr Zephenia Mboto, decried the incident and blamed it on heightening political tension and activism in his area.

He urged police to carry thorough investigations and bring the culprits to book.

"There was peace all these years when we had no elections and I want to believe the two incidents are linked to politics. On that evening, there was a group of youths who were toy-toying and now it is this.

It is disturbing. Whoever did, and for whatever reason, has made life a hell for that old widow. I pity her. It pains to just lose all she had toiled for, just like that," he said.

He said the community was vulnerable to unprovoked attack.

"We are no longer secure. The community is vulnerable, and my appeal to police is to sniff out the culprits and bring them to book because if they do not, the arsonists might pounce again.

The whole community feels there is high propensity that they may come back, so police must come hard on them.

"We need peace, security and co-existence," said kraal head Mboto.